Chickpea Harissa Soup Recipes

CHICKPEA HARISSA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and a pinch of salt, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the harissa and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
• Add the chickpeas and their liquid. Fill a can with water, and add that to the pot as well. Season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are warmed and the flavors have come together, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Now taste it: Add salt, water (if too thick), honey (if too spicy), and/or harissa (if not spicy enough) to your liking. Serve hot, with whichever toppings you like.

HARISSA-BRAISED CHICKPEAS WITH FETA

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the harissa, anchovy paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the chickpeas, thyme, remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, about 1/4 teaspoon pepper and a few good pinches of salt and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are very soft, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the lemon halves cut-side down until they get some nice brown marks on them.
• When the chickpeas are ready, squeeze in the juice from the grilled lemon halves. Discard the thyme sprigs. Place a dollop of yogurt in each serving bowl, then use a slotted spoon to scatter some of the chickpeas on top. Add some crumbled feta, a handful of herbs and a bunch of turns of pepper to each bowl. Serve with crusty bread.

HARIRA (SPICED MOROCCAN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CHICKPEAS, CILANTRO, AND LEMON)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until the onion turns translucent and begin to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin, harissa or chile flakes, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup each of the parsley and cilantro, tomatoes, and the stock or water and bring to a boil. If using the soaked chickpeas, drain them and add to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, then add the lentils, another teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and continue simmering until the chickpeas and lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes more. If using canned chickpeas omit the first 25 minutes of simmering and add with the lentils.
• Whisk the flour, egg, and lemon juice into 2 cups (470 ml) of water. Stir into the soup. Simmer the soup about 5 minutes more and serve, sprinkled with the remaining cilantro and parsley. And don't forget to have some extra harissa in a plate on the side.

LABLABI (TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SOUP)

Steps:

• Combine stock, chickpeas, harissa, cumin, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce temperature, and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Divide bread, chopped parsley, cilantro, and capers between 4 soup bowls. Scoop an egg from the shell into each bowl, pour soup on top, and drizzle with olive oil.

LABLABI (TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SOUP)

Steps:

• Prepare the crispy chickpeas: Transfer chickpeas to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a clean dish towel or paper towels. Cover with another towel (or paper towels) on top, rubbing gently to dry. Remove top towel and let air-dry for at least 30 minutes and preferably 1 hour.
• As chickpeas dry, start preparing the soup: In a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot, combine soaked chickpeas, 5 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon salt over high heat. Bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until chickpeas are tender, about 1 to 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. While chickpeas are cooking, cut bread into thick slices, then tear slices into bite-size pieces. Place bread in one layer on large rimmed baking sheet and toast until crisp and light brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool on pan and set aside.
• Finish the crunchy chickpeas: Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees. Remove the towels from baking sheet with the chickpeas, and toss the chickpeas with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and za'atar until well coated. Roast until golden and crispy, about 13 to 18 minutes, tossing halfway through. When chickpeas are still hot, sprinkle lightly more salt. Taste and add more salt or za'atar, or both, if you'd like.
• When the chickpeas for the soup are tender, discard bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 2 cups of chickpeas, 1/2 cup of chickpea cooking liquid and 1/4 cup olive oil to a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to blitz half the chickpeas into a rough purée. Add the olive oil before puréeing. The broth won't be as silky as it would be puréed in a regular blender, but it will taste just as good.)
• In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add a splash of the chickpea cooking liquid to the pan, and bring to a simmer to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat.
• Add chickpea purée and onion mixture to soup, along with harissa and lemon juice, and stir well. Add a little water if soup seems too thick, and more salt, if needed.
• To serve, divide toasted bread pieces among soup bowls, then ladle in soup. Garnish with lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, more cumin and some of the crispy chickpeas - you'll have leftovers. Serve hot, with more harissa on the side.