Nutrition: Slow-Cooker Spanish Chickpea Soup

Source: eating well magazine

Ingredients

1 pound dried chickpeas

6 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds), skin removed

4 ounces Spanish-style chorizo, cut into ½-inch rounds

8 baby red potatoes, scrubbed and halved

1 large leek, white and light green parts, halved and thinly sliced

2 medium carrots, cut into ½-inch chunks

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon smoked paprika, preferably PimentÀ¹n de la Vera

½ teaspoon saffron threads or ¼ teaspoon powdered saffron

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock

½ medium cabbage (about 1 pound), cored and cut into 8 wedges

Ground pepper to taste

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

• 1 Soak chickpeas in enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches for at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.

• 2 Place chicken in a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Drain the chickpeas and add chorizo, potatoes, leek, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, paprika and saffron. Bring broth (or stock) to a boil in a saucepan, then pour it into the slow cooker. Cook on High for 4 hours.

• 3 Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. Put cabbage into the soup, cover and cook until it is tender, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Remove the chicken from the bones and stir it back into the soup; season with pepper. Serve sprinkled with parsley.