Greek Chickpea Soup

Authentic Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia) – a comforting Mediterranean recipe made with olive oil, lemon, and herbs. Naturally vegan & full of flavor!

Course Soup

Cuisine Cretan, Greek

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Chickpeas soaking time 6

Servings servings

Calories 302kcal

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.

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.

How to make this soup with cooked chickpeas

For four to six servings:

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.

The nutritional analysis is only an estimate based on available ingredients and the recipe’s preparation.