Chickpeas Soup (Minestra di ceci)

INGREDIENTS: (6 servings)
400 grams Chick peas
50 grams Pork Lard
4 brown/wholemeal Bread slices
1 Carrot
1/2 Onion
2 cloves Garlic
4 tablespoons Olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese
2 tablespoons concentrated Tomato juice
1 stick Celery
3 tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese
1 Sage leaf
Salt
Pepper

Clean chick peas with 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a bowl of cold water and leave them there for 24 hours.

The day after, drain and put them into a casserole with 150cl cold salty water.
Cook them to low heat for about 2 hours.
Fry lightly chopped lard pork with minced garlic, onion carrot, celery and sage.
Add cooked chick peas with their stock, concentrated tomato juice and boil them slowly for 30 minutes.
Toast the bread slices into oven, and put them in a tureen.
Pour the soup on them, add pepper olive oil, sprinkle with grated Pecorino cheese and serve it warm.