Creamy Farro and Chickpea Soup

The book, The Essential New York Times Cookbook, is due back at the library and I have barely skimmed the surface, so the next few recipes come from the book.

This recipe comes from Wolfert's Mediterranean Grains and Greens. You build the soup on a foundation of prosciutto, onion, and celery, later adding nutmeg and marjoram to the farro, and just before serving, you puree some of the cooked chickpeas to thicken the broth and integrate the parts into a coherent whole.

3/4 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed, picked over, and soaked overnight in water to cover
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped prosciutoo
1 tablespoon minced celery
3/4 cup farro or hulled barley, rinsed and soaked overnight in water to cover
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 pinches freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish

1. Drain the chickpeas and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil. Add the sea salt and bay leaves, reduce the heat, and cook, covered, until the chickpeas are very soft, about 1-1/2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, prosciutto, and celery and cook gently for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown. Drain the farro and add it to the onion mixture, along with the chicken broth, marjoram, and nutmeg. Cook, partially covered, for 1 hour.
3. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the cooking liquid; discard the bay leaves. Puree the chickpeas with 1 cup of the reserved liquid in a food processor. Add the pureed chickpeas to the farro mixture; if necessary, add more of the cooking liquid from the chickpeas to achieve the consistency of a creamy soup. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepepr. Wait for 10 minutes before serving.
   
4. Sprinkle each portion with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 4.