Chickpea Soup A La Provencale - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups dried garbanzo beans
1/2 cup olive oil
4 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
10 cups water
1/2 cup spinach
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, bay leaf)
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon butter or 1 teaspoon margarine
1/3 cup crouton

Preparation

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Rinse them in cold water.
Chop the spinach. Pour the oil into a soup pot, add the leeks, and saute over medium heat for a few minutes.
Add the water, chickpeas, spinach, garlic, herbs and salt and pepper.
Bring soup to a boil and reduce to low-heat. Cover pot and cook for 50-60 minutes until chickpeas are tender. Simmer for 15 more minutes.
Blend soup and pour back into pot to reheat. Add butter and croutons to each serving.