Chickpea and Spicy Sausage Soup

Ingredients

• 3 15-ounce cans chickpeas
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ pound chouriço, linguiça, or Spanish (dry-cured) chorizo, halved lengthwise and sliced ½ inch thick (see Cook's Note)
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large celery ribs, trimmed and sliced ½ inch thick
• 2 large bay leaves
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon pressed or grated garlic
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Empty two cans of the chickpeas, with their liquid, into a medium bowl. Drain the third can, rinse the chickpeas, and transfer to the same bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chouriço and cook until it browns slightly and tints the oil red, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the prepared plate to drain. Pour all but about 1 tablespoon of the oil into a small bowl, and set aside.
3. Return the pan to medium heat and add the onion, celery, bay leaves, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium-low, cover, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have released their juices, about 4 minutes longer. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 40 seconds. Add the chicken broth, water, tomato sauce, and chickpeas with their liquid. Adjust the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to low, cover, and let simmer to soften the chickpeas further and blend the flavors, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Add the cooked sausage and 1 teaspoon salt, season with black pepper, and continue simmering to heat the sausage through. Remove the bay leaves, add most of the parsley, and stir to mix. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and black pepper, if necessary. Divide among individual plates. Drizzle with the reserved sausage cooking oil and sprinkle with some of the remaining parsley before serving.