The Case of Mediterranean Chick Pea Soup

Remember when our government advised us to prepare and have on hand family emergency kits? Coincided with millennium computer crash concerns, I believe. The following says all you need to know about me – I made a first aid kit for our home, an emergency/first aid kit for my car, and a 3-day emergency equipment and vegetarian rations kit for Karl and myself. The latter looks something like this– 

list of contents
24 litres water (check expiry date)
6 cans chick peas (rotate yearly)
6 small containers apple juice (rotate yearly)
6 small cans V8 (rotate yearly)
12 cheese and cracker snacks (rotate every 6 months)
cereal (rotate every 6 months)
4 cans evaporated milk (rotate yearly)
batteries for radio (8 D-size, 1.5V) (test)
manual

Fortunately, we've never had to use any of our kits. But you do see how every year I have this glut of canned chick peas to use up. Mmm-hmm, I have a wonderful, spicy chick pea hummus recipe. Plus this soup. Excellent for dunking chunks of Italian bread.

Mediterranean Chick Pea Soup

1 red pepper
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch chilli pepper flakes
2 19-oz-cans chick peas, rinsed
4 cups water
4 rounded tsps (for 4 cups) vegetable bouillon powder
3 tbsps pesto
1/2 cup Greek olives, pitted
1 tsp vinegar
2 tbsps Parmesan

Slice the red pepper in half, trim it, and broil the two halves, skin side up, until blackened (approximately 15 mins.) Place in a sealed container for 15 mins., then peel and chop. In the meantime, sauté the garlic and celery in the olive oil for 5 min. Add the chilli pepper flakes and sauté 30 sec. Add the chick peas, water, and vegetable bouillon powder, and simmer, covered, for 15 min. Stir in the roasted red pepper, pesto, olives and vinegar. Ladle into bowls and grate the Parmesan on top. A savoury delight for 4 emergency-spared people.