Chickpea Soup with Wheat Berries

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight with 4 cups of water and 2 tsp baking soda)
• 1/2 cup wheat berries (soaked overnight together with the chickpeas)
• 7 cups water
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1-28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp dry thyme
• 1/8-1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (you may reserve some fresh cilantro as a garnish to add before serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Remember to soak the chickpeas and wheat berries overnight. Place them together in a bowl with 4 cups of water and 2 tsp baking soda. See Note 1.

2. 2

   Rinse soaked chickpeas and wheat berries really well and drain them.

3. 3

   In a medium soup pot heat, olive oil add onions and garlic. Sauté on medium heat 5-7 minutes or until translucent.

4. 4

   Add drained chickpeas, wheat berries, and 4 cups of water and bring to a soft boil for 40 minutes or until the chickpeas are soft.

5. 5

   Add another 3 cups of water and the rest of the ingredients except for the lemon and cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 90 minutes.

6. 6

   Remove bay leaves. Add the lemon and fresh cilantro, mix well and turn off the heat.

7. 7

   Add fresh cilantro as a garnish right before serving the soup (optional)