(Spanish gipsy soup - Traditional recipe from Spain)

Time: preparation: 30 minutes plus chick ......... pea soaking time ........ cooking: about 90 minutes 200 g (7 oz) dried chick peas, soaked     overnight 200 g (7 oz) French beans (string beans) 150 g (5 1/2 oz) peeled pumpkin 3 pears 2 fresh young onions, finely grated 3 ripe but firm tomatoes, finely chopped 1 garlic clove 10 peeled and toasted almonds 1 bread slice 2 tablespoons sweet paprika 4 tablespoons red vinegar 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2,5 l (76 fl oz - 11 C) cold water 1 tablespoon saffron Salt Pepper, if you like - Easy recipe

  Spoon measures are American spoons, that is standard cook's measuring spoons used in USA.
  The best plan is to regard 2 American teaspoons or tablespoons as 1 English teaspoon or tablespoon (eating spoons)

Drain the chick peas from their soaking water and wash under running water; then drain again. Pour the water (2,5 l) into a large pan and bring to the boil over high heat; when the water boils, add the chick peas, lower the heat and keep on cooking for about an hour. You have not to salt the water.
Meanwhile prepare all the vegetables. Remove the ends to the French beans, then wash and cut them into little pieces. Clean, wash and grate the onions and tomatoes. Cut the pumpkin into little pieces. At last peel the pears, quarter them, remove the core and cube the flesh.
After an hour add to the water with the chick peas the French beans, pumpkin and pears. At this point stir, season to taste with salt and pepper (if you like pepper) and keep on cooking over low heat.
Meanwhile put the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry lightly the garlic clove, peeled,
and bread slice on both side. Then remove from the pan and put apart. Then add the onion to the same oil; let it fry lightly for few minutes, stirring, and then add also the tomatoes and paprika. Keep on cooking, stirring now and then, for few minutes until all the ingredients flavour.
Chop finely the almonds and the fried slice of bread, crush the fried garlic and add to the almond mixture. Melt the saffron in 4 tablespoons hot water and add it to the mixture together with the vinegar. Stir very well and incorporate the mixture to the onions and tomatoes. Stir and pour into the soup. Control the quantity of salt. The soup is ready.
Serve it hot or warm.

Note
- If you don't find ripe tomatoes, you can use canned peeled tomatoes. You can also use
  frozen French beans.
- We tasted this recipe with some variations because we don't like to fry, we want to
  incorporate the olive oil away from the heat and we don't like garlic. We like natural and
  healthy recipes! So we added the onions, tomatoes and paprika a quarter of an hour after
  adding the French beans, pumpkin and pears. We substituted the fried slice of bread with
  toasted bread and we prepared the almond mixture in the same way using 4 tablespoons
  dried chives instead of the fried garlic. We poured this mixture into the soup few minutes
  before the end of cooking. At this point we dressed with the olive oil after switching off the
  gas. Eat the dish in this way: it's wonderful!
- If you want a thicker soup you can also grate the pumpkin.

What's the right wine?
Our suggestion is: Rioja Sin Crianza (red, young wine from Spain). If you prefer an Italian wine, you could choose Bardolino (a red wine from Venetia).

You can find some ideas for combining this recipe with other dishes and setting up the table in the members-only area: so you'll be able to plan a Spanish dinner party!

If you want to combine this dish with other ones for a complete menu,
consult our "Members-only Area".