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1
Soak the chickpeas in plenty of cold water to cover for at least 8 hours or overnight.
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2
Drain the chickpeas and then put them, the bacon, and the bay leaves in a medium saucepan.
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3
Add enough water to cover them by 2 inches.
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4
Bring the water to a boil and then adjust the heat so it is boiling gently.
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5
Cook the chickpeas until near tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
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6
Keep an eye on them; they should always be covered by liquid.
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7
When the liquid meets the level of the chickpeas, add cold water to cover by 1 inch or so.
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8
While the chickpeas are cooking, clean the chard: Fill a clean sink with cool water.
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9
Trim any wilted or yellow leaves and remove and discard the stems.
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10
Cut the leaves into 1-inch pieces.
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11
Swish them around in the water and then drain them in a colander.
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12
When the chickpeas are tender, remove the slab of bacon and let it cool.
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13
Cut it into about 1/2 inch pieces.
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14
Put the bacon in a deep medium skillet over medium-high heat until it starts to sizzle and brown, about 3 minutes.
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15
Stir in the sofrito and cook until the water has evaporated and the sofrito starts to sizzle.
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16
Add the tomatoes and stir until softened.
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17
Stir in the chard leaves and stir until wilted, then stir in the chickpeas.
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18
Pour in the broth, add the thyme, and bring to a gentle boil.
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19
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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20
Cover and cook for 15 minutes to give the flavors a chance to blend.
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21
Uncover the pan and check out the liquid.
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22
If you want to serve the beans and chard soupy, leave it as is.
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23
If you want to serve it a little drier, boil it until as much of the liquid as you like has evaporated.
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24
You can adjust the soupiness at the very end of cooking by adding additional broth.
