Lablabi (Tunisian Spiced Chickpea Soup)
Lablabi is a simple yet flavorful Tunisian soup made with chickpeas, bread, lemon juice and warm spices like cumin and harissa. Often enjoyed as a street food, it’s a dish rooted in frugality and tradition, transforming basic ingredients into something deeply comforting. Served with a drizzle of olive oil and optional toppings like capers, this recipe celebrates the straightforward, nourishing qualities that have made Lablabi a staple in Tunisian cuisine for generations.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker, (I recommend Fissler Vitavit Premium 3.5l or larger), optional
- Immersion Blender, (with jug), optional
Ingredients
- 320 g dried chickpeas (or 2 x 570g jars or 3 x 400g cans), see note below
- 2 tbsp salt (28g)
- 1 tbsp ground cumin (plus extra to serve)
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp harissa (30g), plus extra to serve
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to serve)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 300 g stale bread
- 2 tbsp capers
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon (14g) of the salt in around 1.5l of water overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
- The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas and transfer them to a large pan with 1.8l of water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid left slightly ajar for 1½ hours or until tender. Add the cumin and the remaining 1 tablespoon (14g) of salt and continue cooking for 10 minutes more. Alternatively, cook with the cumin, 1 tablespoon (14g) of salt and 1l of water for around 15 minutes in a pressure cooker, then add another 250ml boiling water from the kettle to the pan.
- Optionally, blend a quarter (around 180g) of the chickpeas with some of the cooking liquid (around 250ml) until smooth and return to the pan for a creamier texture.
- During the final 10 minutes of cooking, make the flavor base. Peel and finely grate or crush the garlic into a small bowl. Add the harissa, olive oil and lemon juice and stir to combine. Cut or tear the bread into bite-sized pieces and divide over four bowls.
- Turn off the heat, add the paste to the pan of chickpeas and mix well, then ladle the chickpeas along with their broth over the bread and top each bowl with a little more harissa (if necessary, dilute it with a bit of water first), the capers, an extra sprinkle of cumin and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
- Mix well before tucking in to allow the softened bread to turn into a creamy sauce.
Video
Notes
To use jarred or canned chickpeas, first drain them, then add to a pan with 1l of water. Bring to a simmer and continue with Step 2 from the point where the cumin and salt is added. Jarred chickpeas are often pre-seasoned, so make sure to add less salt (½ tsp per jar).