Il Cucinologo
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Black Chickpea Soup with Cuttlefish and Shrimp

17/11/2023

The black chickpea soup with cuttlefish and shrimp is a dish that combines sea flavors and textures with the rusticity of legumes. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 300 g dried chickpeas (or canned cooked chickpeas if you prefer a quicker preparation)
  • 400 g cleaned baby cuttlefish
  • 200 g shelled shrimp
  • 1 sachet of squid ink
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 piece of chili pepper (optional)
  • 200 ml tomato passata
  • 500 ml fish or vegetable stock
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. If using dried chickpeas, remember to soak them the night before. Then drain and boil them in fresh water with a bay leaf for about 2 hours or until tender. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them.

  2. In a large saucepan, sauté the finely chopped onion and crushed garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil. If you like, you can add a piece of chili pepper for a spicy touch.

  3. Add the baby cuttlefish and let them brown until lightly golden.

  4. Stir in the sachet of squid ink and mix well to flavor the cuttlefish.

  5. Pour in the tomato passata and the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

  6. Now add the chickpeas and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, making sure the flavors blend well.

  7. Finally, add the shrimp and cook everything for about 3-4 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.

  8. Serve the soup hot, garnished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and, if you like, some fresh chopped parsley.

It is a flavorful dish where the bold taste of the legumes meets the intense, marine flavor of the seafood, with that touch of originality given by the squid ink.

Curiosities

Black soup is a dish with great visual impact thanks to its intense color. Squid ink, in addition to giving the characteristic color, also adds a very particular sea flavor. In some variants of Italian cuisine, squid ink is also used to dress pasta or to prepare risottos with an unmistakable hue and flavor.