Lablabi (Chickpea Harissa Soup)

This recipe is inspired by Lablabi, a hearty Tunisian soup that features chickpeas as a prominent ingredient and a ground spice mix, thus the resulting flavor and texture - amazing! My rendition is with crusty croutons that soak up the rich flavor of olive oil in which they are toasted. I love the flavor of harissa here, but if you only have smoked paprika, that works too. A super satisfying meal in a bowl.

P.S Don’t be turned off by the total time this recipe requires: Most of the time is for soaking the chickpeas. It is tempting to use canned variety, but do try and use dried chickpeas. Totally worth the time!

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
2 tbsp olive oil + 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste (no salt added)
1 yellow onion
4 tbsp harissa (powder) or any spice mix of your choice (just watch the spice level and add accordingly)
3 tbsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas (rinsed and then soaked in hot water for at least 4 hours)
6 cups water (or vegetable broth)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Crusty bread, sliced and cubed, about 2 cups