This Greek Chickpea Soup, Revithia, is one of the most comforting and wholesome dishes you can make with just a few pantry staples. In Greece, it’s especially loved on the islands, where chickpeas are simmered slowly with olive oil, lemon, and herbs until creamy and nourishing. It’s naturally vegan, budget-friendly, and full of Mediterranean flavors that make a simple bowl of legumes taste extraordinary.
If you love this chickpea soup recipe, you will also love this lentil and spinach soup with lemon, Fasolada – white bean soup or Greek lemon chicken soup!
Overview
Why you will love Greek chickpea soup
Here is what you need
- This recipe uses dried chickpeas, and they need to be soaked in plenty of fresh water with salt for 24 hours. Check the recipe notes for instructions for using cooked chickpeas.
- Onions and lemons.
- Extra virgin olive oil, bay leaves, dried oregano, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a bit of flour to thicken the broth.
How to prepare the chickpeas
- Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water and a couple of tablespoons of coarse salt overnight.
- For a faster soak, put them in a bowl, cover them with water and add a teaspoon of baking soda. Leave them for at least 8 hours until they rise and double in volume.
- When you are ready to cook, put chickpeas into a large stockpot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Drain and add them back to the pot. Repeat the process 2-3 times until the beans are half-cooked. About 20 minutes each time. Drain chickpeas well and set them aside.
Step by step
Step 1: In the same pot, on medium heat, add the olive oil and the onion.
Sauté the onion until it’s transparent and fragrant. Add the chickpeas, oregano and the bay leaves.
Step 2: Sauté everything for 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.
Step 3: In a bowl add the lemon juice and stir in the flour with a whisk.
Step 4: Slowly pour the lemon mixture into the soup while stirring vigorously.
Remove pot from the heat, season with sea salt and pepper and serve.
Suggestions & Substitutions
- Make it gluten-free: Instead of using flour, you can transfer one ladle of chickpeas and a ladle of broth to a blender and pulse until smooth—return the liquid to the stockpot and stir. Add lemon juice, and season with sea salt and pepper.
- Low & slow: Let the soup simmer gently to break down the chickpeas and deepen flavor.
- Olive oil matters: Use a generous drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil at the end for authentic taste.
- Lemon finish: Don’t skip the lemon — it brightens the whole dish.
- This recipe is versatile: Be creative and add some dried or fresh thyme, a teaspoon of ground cumin and coriander, and serve topped with chili flakes, chopped dill, or chives.
Serving Suggestions
- With warm, crusty peasant bread or Greek pita bread to scoop up the broth.
- A side of Greek olives and feta for a classic table spread.
- Pair with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables for a balanced meal.
- For a heartier option, serve alongside roasted fish or chicken skewers.
Storage & reheating
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in portions for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth if too thick.
More Greek soups
Greek Chickpea Soup
Authentic Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia) – a comforting Mediterranean recipe made with olive oil, lemon, and herbs. Naturally vegan & full of flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 lb chickpeas garbanzo beans
- 1 red onion diced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- salt
- fresh ground pepper
for finishing the soup
- juice from 1- 2 lemons
- 1 cup soup broth
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water overnight.
- When you are ready to cook, drain the chickpeas and place them in a large pot, cover with water, and bring them to a boil. Drain and add them back to the pot. Repeat the process 2-3 times until the items are half-cooked. About 20 minutes each time. Drain chickpeas and set aside.
- In the same pot, on medium heat, add the olive oil and the onion.
- Sauté the onion until it’s transparent and fragrant. Add the chickpeas, oregano, and the bay leaves.
- Sauté everything for 2-3 minutes, then add water to cover chickpeas plus 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low-medium and cook for about an hour or more if needed until they are tender.
- In a bowl add the lemon juice and stir in the flour with a whisk.
- Slowly start adding the lemon mixture while stirring vigorously. Remove pot from heat, season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with smoked herring and onion slices. Don’t forget the crusty bread.
Notes
- You can adjust the lemon’s intensity up or down, depending on how juicy and potent the lemons are. If more acidity is needed, gradually add more fresh lemon juice until you reach your preference.
- Add herbs like dried thyme and sage, a teaspoon of ground cumin, and coriander, and serve with chili flakes, chopped dill, or chives.
- You might have to adjust the cooking time depending on the chickpeas you use. The fresher the beans are, the quicker they will cook.
- You want your chickpeas to be soft and on the verge of being “mushy” – in a good way.
- Instead of using flour and broth to thicken the soup, you can transfer one ladle of chickpeas and a ladle of broth to a blender and pulse until smooth—return liquid to the stockpot and stir. Add lemon juice, and season with sea salt and pepper.
- Two cans of cooked chickpeas
- 0.5 cup of olive oil
- one onion diced
- one cup of stock
- one lemon (juice and zest)
- One tablespoon dried oregano
- Freshly ground pepper
- Sea salt
- Blend one can of the chickpeas with one cup of water in a food processor.
- Pour two tablespoons of olive oil into a large pot over medium high heat.
- Sauté the diced onion with the bay leaves and the dried oregano for two to three minutes, until the onion is fragrant and softened.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the blended chickpeas, the remaining can of chickpeas with their juice, and the stock, and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes on medium to low heat. Adjust the liquid, add more stock if needed, to reach the soup consistency you prefer.
- Remove from the heat, add all of the zest and lemon juice to taste, and drizzle with olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 7gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 257mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @thegreekfoodie__ or tag #thegreekfoodie__
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.
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”.
I love chickpeas, but I have never thought to use them in soup. What a great idea. Just in time for comfort food season that is just around the corner.
Tossed the chickpeas in to soak before bed, in the morning I put the soup on to cook and by lunch had great creamy rich soup for lunch. The addition of lemon adds a perfect pop of bright flavor.
Wow! This soup dish looks absolutely delicious and yummy! The creaminess of this soup makes it enticing and tempting! I’ll definitely make this for the family!
I made this soup yesterday and it came out amazing! Thank you for the recipe! I’m going to save it and make soon again 😉
So happy to hear! Thank you so much Veronika! x Jenny
I love Greek soups and this one was no exception! The lemon flavour really shines through, and it was a perfect complement to the creamy chickpeas.
The more lemon the better! Thank you so much, Ksenia! x Jenny
This soup sounds delicious! I have never made chickpea soup at home before. Excited to give it a try this fall!
It is so easy and filling. Thank you so much, Ann! x Jenny
I am so glad I found this recipe! The flavors in this soup are incredible. It is also very filling. I loved it.
So happy you like the soup, Katie! Thank you so much! x Jenny
This chickpea soup came out so flavorful and delicious! Love how simple to make it was!
It is so easy, isn’t? Thank you so much LaKita! x Jenny