Creamy Polenta Soup with Chickpea Croutons

“FACCIA DEL POLENTONE!”
“AH, TERRONE STUPIDO!”

Those Italians, always bickering…

According to Southern Italians, living in the North means you eat too much polenta. And Northerners love insulting their Southern compatriots by calling them farmers. Now really, is that the best you could come up with?

I learned this from my Zia Bruna, who lives in the coastal fishing village of Santo Spiritio, outside of Bari in Italy. Alejandro and I dropped in to visit Bruna unexpected a few years ago – imagine her surprise when she peered outside to see who was ringing her bell during siesta on a sweltering August day.

“Who is it, I don’t have my glasses on?” She asked from the window of her villa.
“It’s your niece Allison from New York.”
“Allison?!?!”

Zia Bruna guided us through town, fed us fresh panzerotti and told us stories about the mountain town of Grassano where my great-grandmother grew up.

Keeping with the Italian way, she fed us again a few hours later – garden tomato sauce, mushrooms, creamy provolone and warm bread – finished with an icy homemade limoncello that cooled and warmed my entire body simultaneously.

Although she’s probably past name-calling, Bruna may refer to me as a polentone. I’ve been eating lots of polenta lately. It’s soothing, nourishing and more versatile than most things in your pantry. I added a mélange of bitter greens – chard, dandelions, Tuscan kale – and used homemade chicken stock I had in the freezer (from my chicken nuggets).

The roasted chickpea croutons are optional, but I love having something to dip into my soup, and these are more flavorful than plain ol’ bread. Garnish with wisps of nutty cheese – maybe pecorino or manchego – grated right on top of your big steaming bowl.

Polenta Soup with Chickpea Croutons
Serves 4

¾ cup organic polenta
2 stalks green garlic, dark green parts removed, roughly chopped
3 spring onions, dark green parts removed, roughly chopped
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
¼ pound dark leafy greens, roughly chopped (about 2 big handfuls)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme

Chickpea Croutons:
1 cup garbanzo flour
2 cups water
Smoked paprika
Extra-Virgin olive oil
Sea Salt

Start by preparing the croutons. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in chickpea flour, sea salt, and a generous shake of smoked paprika. Whisk until smooth and thick.

Spread mixture out on a greased baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for an 1 hour or more. Preheat oven to 450F. Cut mixture into squares, and toss on baking sheet with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Broil for one minute until golden.

Soup:
Heat up a Dutch oven and add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add green garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer. Stir in chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Slowly add polenta while stirring. When fully incorporated, add chopped greens, salt, pepper and a few pinches of thyme. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve with chickpea croutons and garnish with grated pecorino.

Where I shopped:
Assorted bitter greens: County Hill Farms, Berkeley Farmers’ Market.
Green Garlic, Spring Onions: Riverdog Farms, Berkeley Farmers’ Market
Polenta, Garbanzo flour: Yasai Market, Oakland