Cabbage Minestrone With Chick Peas

I somehow ended up with an obscene amount of red cabbage in my fridge. Here's what I made last night with part of it. Original recipe from the New York Times— I adapted it to what I had on hand.

Cabbage Minestrone With Chick Peas

1 heaped cup chick peas, washed and picked over, soaked for 6 hours or overnight in 1 quart water (channy: i used 1 can of chickpeas)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped (i didn't have an onion)

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped (didn't have this either)

Salt to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, seeded and chopped, with juice (i did't quite use 28oz. I had some leftover- probably 14oz)

1 1/2 pounds cabbage, outer leaves removed, cored and coarsely chopped (about 1 medium cabbage)

2 1/2 quarts water ( i used about a liter? look at me, all metric. anyway, mine came out more stew-y than soup, so it could use more liquid)

A bouquet garni made with 1 Parmesan rind, a bay leaf, and a few sprigs each parsley and thyme (i just used parsley and the parmesan rind)

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup elbow macaroni or small shells (orzo)

Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

(in the absence of onions and celery, i added 1 slice of bacon. mmmmmm)

1. Drain the chick peas and set aside. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the mixture is fragrant and the vegetables tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in half the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute or so, until the garlic begins to smell fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their liquid and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit. Add the cabbage, stir together for a minute, then add the drained chick peas, 2 quarts water, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour, or until the beans are just about tender.

2. Add the remaining garlic and salt to taste, cover and continue to simmer another 30 minutes to an hour, until the beans are thoroughly cooked and the soup very fragrant. Add a cup more water if it seems too thick. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.

3. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is cooked al dente, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, passing the Parmesan at the table for sprinkling.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

From the amazing food blog smittenkitchen

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing
Adapted from Orangette, who adapted it from Casa Moro

Yield: 4 servings

For salad:
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoons ground allspice (I skip this)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

For tahini dressing:
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.

Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning. The sauce should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a little kick of lemon. You will probably need to add more water to thin it out.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro or parsley in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully, or you could serve the salad with the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.