Lablabi (Tunisian Chickpea Soup)

Today I’m bringing you a really unique recipe that I bet you’ve never heard of before. Lablabi is a simple yet hearty Tunisian soup made of chickpeas, bread and warm seasonings.

Jazzed up with a variety of toppings, it’s a great vegetarian dinner for when you crave something exotic.

I first came across Lablabi quite by accident when I was researching Harira for GypsyPlate. It’s another great North African soup that uses chickpeas, be sure to check it out while you’re here!

What is Lablabi?

Lablabi is a traditional Tunisian dish made primarily of chickpeas, enriched with harissa, garlic, cumin, and olive oil, and often brightened with the addition of lemon or lime juice.

The dish is unique for its toppings and the way it’s served. Traditionally, lablabi is poured over chunks of stale bread, transforming it into a hearty, stew-like meal. Toppings vary but can include boiled eggs, capers, and even canned tuna.

This dish is not only a staple in Tunisian homes, but is also a popular street food, especially during the winter months. It was originally a breakfast dish, but nowadays it’s eaten any time of the day.

Ingredients Needed

• Chickpeas – I use canned chickpeas for lablabi. If you prefer to use dried, check further down the post for instructions on how to prep them.
• Onion – Diced.
• Garlic – Always freshly minced.
• Harissa paste – This is a North African condiment made of chili peppers. I see it in the international section of my local supermarket, but I prefer our homemade Harissa.
• Spices – Cumin powder, coriander powder and salt.
• Bread – I prefer to use slightly stale bread, as it gives a heartier texture than fresh.
• Toppings – These can vary. Today I am using soft boiled eggs, pickles, capers, cilantro, parsley, scallion, more harissa, lime wedges, a little dusting of more cumin, and a good douse of extra virgin olive oil. Olives and canned tuna are also quite common.

Easy Lablabi Recipe

First, I heat extra virgin olive oil in a soup pot, then sauté the onion for about 5 minutes. I toss in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Next I start building the flavors by adding cumin, coriander, harissa paste, and salt. I let that cook for a couple of minutes more, then add in the chickpeas, along with their canning liquids, and 3 cups of water.

I bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, covered. The goal here is to get the chickpeas really soft. I recommend Goya brand, because they start out more tender than others.

Once they’re soft, I remove about 2 cups of chickpeas from the soup to a plate and smash them to a rough consistency.

I add these smashed chickpeas back to the soup pot, which makes the soup creamy and a little thick. I give it a taste and adjust for salt and harissa paste, then cook for 5 more minutes.

To serve, I tear the bread into bite-sized chunks and place it in the bottom of bowls, ladle in the chickpea soup. Finally, I top it up with all the toppings.

How to Use Dried Chickpeas

You can make lablabi with dried chickpeas as well. It’s really not any harder, it just takes longer.

First, you need to soak the chickpeas overnight, covered in at least a couple of inches of water. Soak them overnight, then drain them in a colander.

From there, you can just follow the same recipe, but add an extra ½ to 1 cup of water and increase the simmering time by about an hour (this will vary based on the size of the chickpeas and how old they are).

Try my easy Lablabi recipe the next time you’re looking for some new flavors in your soup bowl.

If you like it, please leave a star rating and comment, we love to hear from you. And be sure to stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Pinterest.

Lablabi, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great soups!
Portuguese Bean Soup
Chicken Pastina Soup
Finnish Salmon Soup
Caldo de Res
Birria Ramen
Yakamein
Sancocho
Borscht

Lablabi (Tunisian Chickpea Soup)

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Lablabi is a simple yet hearty Tunisian soup made of chickpeas, bread and warm seasonings, which gets jazzed up with a variety of toppings.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1.5 Tbsp harissa paste
• 45oz canned chickpeas
• salt to taste
• ½ loaf rustic bread
• Toppings:
• soft boiled eggs
• cilantro, finely chopped
• scallion, chopped
• harissa
• lime or lemon
• pickles
• capers
• sprinklings of cumin powder
• extra virgin olive oil
• parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for a minute.
2. Add cumin, coriander, harissa paste, and salt and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add chickpeas, along with their canning liquids, and 3 cups of water. Bring the chickpeas to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer the chickpeas over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, or until very tender.
4. Remove about 2 cups of chickpeas from the soup to a plate and smash them to a rough consistency. Add these smashed chickpeas back to the soup pot. This makes the soup creamy and a little thick. Taste and adjust for salt and harissa paste. Cook for 5 more minutes.
5. To serve, tear the bread into bite-sized chunks and place it in the bottom of bowls. Then, ladle in the chickpea soup. Top it up with preferred toppings like halved soft boiled eggs, pickles, capers, harissa paste, chopped parsley and scallions, lime wedges, a little sprinkling of cumin powder, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Different brands of chickpeas will take more or less time to cook, depending on how tender they are to begin with. I prefer Goya, which are the tenderest brand that I have found.
2. To use dried chickpeas, first soak them overnight, fully submerged in water. When ready to cook, drain them. Follow the remaining recipe as described above, but add an additional ½ to 1 cup of water and increase the simmering time to 1.5 to 2 hours, until the chickpeas are soft.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.