4 very large or 6 smaller silverbeet (or Swiss chard) leaves, washed well, bottom 1 cm of stem removed, remaining stem cut from leaves and roughly chopped, leaves finely chopped
1 generous tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
6 chicken legs, skin removed
2 litres chicken stock
pepper, to taste
fresh parsley, to serve
lemon wedges, optional
Instructions
The night before making this soup - place chickpeas in a large bowl and cover generously with water
Set aside in a cool place
The next day, heat a large pot over medium heat
When hot, add onions, celery, silverbeet stalks and oil
Saute for 15-20 minutes until they soften and start to brown
Meanwhile drain and rinse the chickpeas
Add garlic and saute for a few minutes, before adding chicken legs, chickpeas and stock
Bring to the boil, then turn heat down to a gentle simmer, place lid on the pot and cook for at least one hour
After an hour, check one of the chickpeas to see if they are cooked
Place it between your thumb and first finger. If it is cooked, it will squash very easily and you can turn the heat off
Remove chicken legs from the soup and set aside to cool a little
Remove about 1 cup of chickpeas from the soup, along with some liquid and puree either with a hand held blender or in a food processor. Add back to the soup
Remove meat from chicken legs and add back to the soup
Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley and a little squeeze of lemon
Enjoy
Recipe by Healthy Home Cafe at http://healthyhomecafe.com/2017/05/16/chicken-chickpea-and-silverbeet-soup/