Chickpea And Romaine Soup With Golden Vermicelli

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups drained and rinsed canned chickpeas (one 19-ounce can)
• 3 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 pound vermicelli, broken in half
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce (about 2/3 pounds), shredded (about 5 cups)

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion, garlic, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes longer.
2. Add the chickpeas, broth, water, and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
3. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over moderate heat. Add the vermicelli and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the browned pasta with a slotted spoon; add it to the soup along with the romaine. Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Variations: We originally made this soup with Swiss chard. When it came time to retest, we were out of chard but had plenty of romaine; we used that and liked the soup even better. Swiss chard still makes a fine substitution, though, as does spinach.
5. Wine Recommendation: Since the inspiration for this soup comes from Spain, why not the wine as well? A Rioja Crianza will be perfect here. Crianza means aged for less time than the more complex Reserva and Gran Reserva, and so the wine will be fresh and fruity.

olive oil, onion, clove garlic, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, tomatoes, chickpeas, chicken broth, water, salt, vermicelli, head romaine lettuce

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chickpea-romaine-soup-with-golden-vermicelli (may not work)