I’m on a soup kick this week, and this is another one of my faves.  I grew up in Tampa which has always had a large Cuban population, and I love Cuban food.  This is a classic soup at the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa which has been serving up Cuban fare in the same location since 1905.

1/2 lb. dried garbanzos
1 ham bone
1 beef bone
2 qts. water
1 T salt
1/4 lb. salt pork cut into thin strips
1 onion finely chopped
1 chorizo sliced into thin rounds
2 potatoes, peeled and cut in eighths
pinch of saffron
1/2 t paprika

• Wash garbanzoes.  Soak overnight with 1 T of salt in enough water to cover beans.  Drain the salted water from the beans.  Place the beans in a 4-qt. soup kettle.  Add 2 qts. water and the ham and beef bones.  Cook for 45 minutes over low heat, skimming foam from the top.
• Fry salt pork slowly in a skillet.  Add chopped onion and saute lightly.  Add to beans along with potatoes, paprika, and saffron.  Add salt to taste.  When potatoes are tender, remove from the heat and add chorizo.  Serve hot in deep soup bowls.

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