Tuscan Chickpea Soup

I'm not a picky eater, but I do have a little problem with texture. If the texture of a food gives me the creepin' willies, I just can't eat it, no matter how good it tastes. Tapioca is a fine example of this. The flavor of tapioca pudding is delicious, but the texture of those tapioca pearls is too much. I feel like I've got a mouth full of fish eyeballs...I just can't do it.
David, on the other hand, will pretty much eat anything that won't eat him first. There are some things he doesn't like much, but he still eats them. But this soup? Nope...not on the list. He hated it. He admitted that the flavor was fine, but he couldn't get past the texture. He said he felt like I was serving him baby food!
You see, I had used the immersion blender (thanks, Earl and Shirley!) on this Tuscan Chickpea Soup. I had in mind that it would have a delightful, velvety mouthfeel. It was pretty good (not quite velvety), but David just didn't care for the texture at all! So we won't have Tuscan Chickpea Soup here at the Orr house ever again, but it's worth trying, if you don't have any "texture issues" in your household! I took it for my lunch for several days, and it reheats nicely. It's a hearty soup, what with all the chickpeas and all, and it great on crisp, cool fall days. It's easy to throw together, and of course, you get to use the immersion blender!

Tuscan Chickpea Soup

adapted from a recipe from Core and More Recipes

2 Tbs. canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, chopped (I omitted this)

1 large bell pepper

4 cups chicken stock

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary (could've used more)

salt and cayenne, to taste

3 (15.5 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

14.5 oz diced tomatoes, drained

2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, and bell pepper and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in stock and next 5 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to process/puree the soup until smooth. You can also puree the soup in batches using a regular blender. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and serve with a splash of additional balsamic vinegar on top.