Your Ticket to Wellness at 20,000 Locations Worldwide

• 1 lb dried chickpeas
• 8 cups cold purified water
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 Tbsp ground allspice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the garnish:
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

To cook the beans, wash and drain the chickpeas and put them in a large pot with the cold water. Stir in the baking soda. Leave to soak at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.

Bring the chickpeas in their soaking water to a boil over high heat. Skim off the foam that accumulates. Stir, reduce the heat, cover, and then boil gently until the chickpeas are tender, about 45 minutes.

While the beans are cooking, prepare the garnish. Preheat oven to 250? F. Toss the onion slices with the olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Place the slices on a non-stick baking sheet, keeping them separated as much as possible, and bake until lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Remove and set aside.

To prepare the soup, saut? the chopped onions in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and saut?, stirring, for another minute. Add the cumin, coriander, allspice, salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir-fry the mixture for another minute, and then add it to the chickpeas, mixing well.

Simmer the chickpea mixture, covered, for 20 minutes. In batches, ladle the chickpeas and the liquid into a food processor or blender and process into a smooth puree. Return the puree to the pot. Bring the soup to a simmer. Correct the seasoning. Serve in warm bowls, garnished with the onions and sprinkled with the parsley.

Per serving: Calories 266/Fat 7.9g/Saturated fat 0.9g/Protein 11.8g/Carbohydrate 39g/Cholesterol 0 mg/Fiber 10.6g

From "The Healthy Kitchen" (Knopf, 2002) by Andrew Weil, M.D., and Rosie Daley.