Hearty Chicken and Chickpea Soup

This recipe was in a "Meatless Monday" article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Tony made it last night and it was yummy! It is supposed to be a power-food soup. Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 C Water

1/2 C short-grain brown rice

1 T olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 onion, finely chopped (1 1/2 C)

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps cleaned and thinly sliced (about 4 C) We used regular button mushrooms and they were good.

6 C homemade or reduced-sodium storebought chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 tsp dried rosemary crumbled (we used thyme and it was nice)

1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

10 oz baby spinach

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 oz grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 C)

1) In a large saucepan, bring the water to a rapid boil. Stir in brown rice and return to a boil; reduce heat to a shimmer. Cover and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, 30 to 40 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, rosemary, and red pepper flakes, then bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat.

3) Stir rice and chickpeas into broth mixture; return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and continue cooking 5 minutes more to allow flavors to blend.

4) Stir in spinach and cook, uncovered, until just wilted, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste, and season with pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkled with grated Parmesan and drizzled with more oil.

-From Power Foods (Clarkson Potter, 2010)