Tunisian Chickpea & Harissa Soup

Name: Tunisian Chickpea & Harissa Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1–2 tbsp harissa, to taste; 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained; 750ml vegetable stock; 4 eggs; 4 slices crusty bread, torn into pieces; 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges; Small handful of parsley, chopped; 1 small tin tuna, drained (optional)

Tunisian chickpea and bread soup sharpened with harissa, cumin, lemon and garlic.

35 mins total for first methodServes 4On the Hob

Ingredients ↓Method ↓

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1–2 tbsp harissa, to taste
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained
750ml vegetable stock
4 eggs
4 slices crusty bread, torn into pieces
1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into wedges
Small handful of parsley, chopped
1 small tin tuna, drained (optional)

Method

10 mins prep25 mins cook35 mins total

Warm the oil in a saucepan. Fry the garlic, cumin and harissa for 1 minute.
Add the chickpeas and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes, mashing a few chickpeas against the pan to thicken the broth.
Poach the eggs in the soup for 4–5 minutes, or cook them separately if easier.
Divide the bread between bowls and ladle over the soup. Finish with lemon, parsley, olive oil and tuna if using.

Notes

Use vegetable stock and omit tuna for a vegetarian bowl. Add extra harissa at the table.

About this recipe

Lablabi is an inexpensive Tunisian bowl of chickpeas and broth, made substantial with torn bread and brightened with lemon. Harissa adds warmth while cumin and garlic give the soup its signature savoury fragrance.

Top each bowl with a soft egg, tuna or both. Add the bread just before eating so it absorbs the broth without disappearing completely.

Tunisian Soup Vegetarian Lunch