Make ahead….the longer this sits, the better the flavors!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 (14 1/2-oz) cans chickpease (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp safflower oil (or other high heat oil)
• 4 oz diced pancetta (if you can find thick-cut pancetta, thick bacon ends work well, too)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, chopped (if you don’t like spicy, use a green bell pepper)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (14 1/2-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 lb Spanish-style Chorizo (cooking chorizo is softer than the harder chorizo that looks like hard salami)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Add chicken broth, chickpeas, thyme and bay leaf to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
While chickpeas are cooking, make the sofrito – pepper and onion base. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta (I used bacon ends), onion and poblano or bell pepper; saute until the pancetta is slightly browned and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in crush tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add sofrito mixture to chickpeas. Saute chorizo over medium heat, breaking up the pieces, until fully browned. Add to chickpeas. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste.
Serve on its own or with rice for a hearty meal.