Chickpea & Tomato Soup with Chicken Quenelles

  Posted on September 9, 2009  by Leslie Blythe  1 comment

The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden

I know it’s not quite hot soup weather yet, at least here in Southern California, but this recipe is really unusual and very good.  It is Chickpea & Tomato Soup with Chicken Quenelles. A quenelle is light dumpling made of creamed fish, chicken, or meat, sometimes combined with breadcrumbs, with a light egg binding, which are usually poached.  The quenelles are light as a feather.

I was given the recipe by one of my closest friends, Jessica.  She knows more about me than just about anyone, which is a little frightening!

Anyway, it’s a soup recipe from The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden, which is an amazing cookbook that uncovers the history of Jewish food throughout the world and spans thousands of years.  It also offers a comprehensive guide to Jewish dietary laws, as well as a catalog of religious holidays and a description of foods eaten in biblical times.  It’s a real page turner!

Chickpea & Tomato Soup with Chicken Quenelles

Serves 6

2 ¾ qts clear chicken stock
1 can chickpeas
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb tomatoes, chopped
6 dried apricots, chopped

Quenelles
1 small onion
1 lb ground chicken
2 eggs
1 large slice of bread, crust removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry

Put the stock, chickpeas, onions and tomatoes in a large pot.  Simmer for 1 hour.

In the meantime, make the quenelles – finely chop the onion and the chicken in a food processor.  Add the eggs and bread, blend into a soft paste.  Drop spoonfuls of chicken into soup, add apricots and simmer at least 15 minutes.

Season to taste.