Chickpea lemon soup is a beloved soup I learned to make from my Cretan mother Maria. It is pretty simple to make as long as you soak the chickpeas overnight and pre-cook them to help soften their texture.
Chickpeas soup is on the list of unpretentious simple foods which are absolutely delicious with a distinctive flavor. The lemon adds brightness and sophistication to the humble chickpeas. You can tune up or down how much lemon you want to use. For example my mother used one lemon, I felt I needed more acidity and added the juice of three lemons. Admitedly the lemons I find in Hoboken might be diferent in potency compared to the greek lemons my mother used. My suggestion is to experiment and discover what you prefer.
I personally love food that makes a great leftover. After a day you can add a cup of the rice of your choice in the soup and create a lovely rice dish. Add some leftover grilled vegetables, some nuts, a sprikle of feta cheese and you have a completelly different meal.
More soups please!
If you liked this recipe please try my Greek tomato toup with feta & basil, an ideal partner to crusty bread. A wonderful and comforting soup is the traditional Greek chicken soup, it is delicious and humbly perfect. And real winner is my red kabocha soup with porcini mushrooms, it is creamy and sophisticated with layers of flavor that leave you satisfied & pleasantly surprised.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb chickpeas garbanzo beans
- 1 red onion diced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 bay leafs
- 1 tbsp dry oregano
- salt
- fresh ground pepper
for finishing the soup
- juice from 1- 2 lemons
- 1 cup soup broth
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water overnight.
- Put them in a large pot cover with water and bring them to a boil. Drain and add them back to the pot. Repeat the same process 2-3 times until they are half cooked. About 20 min each time. Drain chickpeas well and set aside.
- In the same pot, in medium heat, add the olive oil and the the onion.
- Sauté onion until it’s transparent and fragrant. Add the chickpeas, oregano and the bay leaves.
- Sauté everything for a 2-3 minutes then add water to cover chickpeas plus 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for about an hour or more if needed until they are tender. Shortly before chickpeas are cooked season with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl add the lemon juice and stir in the flour with a whisk.
- Slowly start adding a little of the soup broth. Keep stirring vigorously. Pour into the soup and mix well.
- Serve hot with smoked herring and onion slices. Don’t forget the crusty bread.
Notes
Could you use canned chickpeas instead? I know the result won’t be quite the same, but ….. love that you suggest serving this with smoked herring!!!!
I don’t see why not, I am actually going to try that! The soup broth will be different but you can use chicken or veggie broth as a substitute. I am all for trying new things, go for it and let me know how it came out! x Jenny
Quick update!
A friend tried the soup with canned chickpeas and noted that broth was starkly different and did not work well. In order to develop this rich and creamy broth you need to follow the recipe and use dried chickpeas. x Jenny
I’m coming down with a cold right now and this sounds exactly like what I want.
But, I wanted to ask: is the *cup* of olive oil a typo? That sounds overwhelming.
Yes, I agree with you the olive oil should be 1/2 a cup, thank you for pointing that to me. Regarding your cold, a very traditional greek chicken lemon soup will be up on the site tonight and it is really perfect for feeling under the weather. Check it out if you have the chance. Hope you feel better soon! x Jenny
How many times do you cook the chickpeas in total? Also, do you drain the chickpeas from the 24 hour soaking, then rinse the chickpeas and cook again in fresh water? Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to make it!
Hi Valerie! I just drain them after the overnight soaking and pre-cook/boil them at least 2 times always in fresh water. I pre-cook them until they seem half cooked and then I prepare the final soup. If they are still tough you can always simmer the soup longer if need to. Just adjust the water quantity and check your seasoning. The trick is to have them at the end soft but not falling apart/mushy. Let me know how they came out! x
Use bicarbonate of soda to soak the dried peas with…
This goes for all dried peas & beans. Overnight soaking does not cut it… This is hardly ever mentioned in recipes, & it should be. A tried and tested method for softening pulses prior to cooking.
Hi Malcolm, using bicarbonate soda is not the Greek method but definitely worth trying. I will check it out next time I make my chickpea soup. Thank you for the tip!
Chickpeas should be soaked in hot water, and the water where they will boil should also be hot. This is not necessary with beans or lentils… only with chickpeas. I imagine you need to boil them several times because you soak them in cold water. Because I only boil them once.
That is a great idea! I will try that, thanks Maite!
This is my favorite soup now! The lemons add vibrance, and the oregano is so fragrant. i love how this dish is suitable summer and winter. This time I added a handful of arugula, just delicious. Thank you Jenny for another “keeper”.