Ingredients

• cup dry garbanzo beans
• 1
• pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs
• 2 1/2
• cups sliced carrots
• 1
• medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices, or 1 1/2 cups sliced celery
• 1
• large onion, chopped
• 1
• tablespoon snipped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
• 1
• tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1
• tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules
• 1/4
• teaspoon salt
• 1/4
• teaspoon pepper
• 4
• cups water
• 1
• cup shredded fresh spinach or escarole

Directions

1. Rinse the garbanzo beans; place in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. (Or place beans in water in a large saucepan. Cover and let soak in a cool place overnight.) Drain and rinse beans.

2. Rinse chicken. Place chicken and beans in a 3 1/2-, 4-, or 5-quart crockery cooker. Add carrots, fennel or celery, onion, dried marjoram and thyme (if using), bouillon granules, salt, and pepper. Pour water over all.

3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Remove the chicken; cool slightly. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Return to cooker. Add the spinach or escarole and, if using, the fresh marjoram and thyme. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

4. To serve, ladle soup into bowls. If desired, garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

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