EASTER CHICKPEA AND SPINACH SOUP

This is a traditional Spanish soup for Easter. It is often made with salted cod, but since we did not have any we did the vegetarian version of it which is still very good. It is very filling though.

You need:
- 200 gr dried chickpeas
- two onions (one whole and another one sliced thinly)
- a bay leaf
- a carrot
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 200 g spinach
- one garlic (minced)
- 1 onion (sliced thinly)
- half a teaspoon of powdered cumin
- a teaspoon of smoked paprika ('pimenton' -  they sell this in most supermarkets now)
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- salt
 
The night before you are going to prepare this soak the chickpeas in cold water (cover them completely) and leave them overnight. The following morning get rid of the water.

Put the chickpeas into a pan, add boiling water (not too much, just to cover them), salt, a peeled carrot (do not dice it), the onion (whole) and the bay leaf. Boil for an hour and a half to 1.45 hours.

While the chickpeas are simmering heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and mince garlic and let it fry over low heat for 10-ish minutes until they are soft. Then add the cumin, pimento and finally the spinach leaves. Wait for a couple of minutes until the spinach leaves wilt. When the chickpeas are ready add all this to them. Then dice the whites of the two hard boiled eggs and add them to the pan.

This tastes better the day after you have cooked it.