Recipe
Tunisian Lablabi – Spiced Chickpea Soup
Tunisian Lablabi – Spiced Chickpea Soup
Tunisia's most beloved comfort food — a rich, steaming chickpea broth poured over stale bread, spiked with harissa, cumin, garlic, and olive oil. Eaten at dawn or after a cold evening, this is a dish that truly warms the soul.
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the chickpeas (the night before): Place 400 grams dried chickpeas (soaked overnight) in a large bowl with plenty of cold water and 1 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (for soaking). Soak for a minimum of 720 minutes
- This step is essential — it gives the chickpeas a melt-in-the-mouth texture and produces a more flavorful broth. Do not skip it.
- Cook the chickpeas: Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas. Transfer to a large pot and cover with 2 liters water or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam. Reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 to 120 minutes, until the chickpeas are completely tender and the broth is rich and cloudy.
- Season the broth: Once the chickpeas are fully cooked, add 1 teaspoons salt, half of 2 teaspoons ground cumin (kamoun), and half of 4 garlic cloves, crushed directly into the simmering broth. Stir well and continue to simmer on low heat for 10 minutes to let the flavors infuse.
- Cook the eggs: Bring a separate saucepan of water to a boil. Cook 4 eggs for 6 minutes
- for a soft, still-runny yolk — the classic lablabi style. Transfer immediately to cold water, peel carefully, and set aside. Alternatively, poach the eggs directly in the chickpea broth just before serving.
- Prepare the bowls: Divide the torn 4 stale bread (baguette or country loaf), torn into chunks among 4 deep bowls. Ladle several generous scoops of hot chickpea broth over the bread, making sure the bread is fully soaked and softened. The bread is not a side — it is the foundation of the dish.
- Build and garnish: Top each bowl with a soft-boiled egg from 4 eggs, cut in half. Add flaked 160 grams canned tuna in olive oil (e.g. El Manar), optional topping if using. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Add the remaining 4 garlic cloves, crushed and 2 teaspoons ground cumin (kamoun) directly over the bowl. Finish with 2 teaspoons harissa (to taste) to taste, 1 tablespoons capers, for garnish, and a scattering of 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or coriander, chopped. Serve immediately, piping hot.
Video
Notes
Key tips (directly from manarthon.com):
- Overnight soak is non-negotiable: 12 hours with bicarbonate of soda gives the chickpeas their signature soft texture and deepens the broth.
- Soft-boiled egg is the classic: 6 minutes gives a runny yolk that melts into the broth. For poached eggs, drop them into the simmering broth in the last 3 minutes.
- The dressing step is critical: The remaining raw garlic and cumin are added directly to each bowl at the end — not just into the pot. This is what gives lablabi its layered, bold flavor.
- Bread is the base, not the side: Use day-old or stale bread — it absorbs the broth beautifully without turning to mush.
- El Manar tuna topping: Adding flaked tuna in olive oil transforms lablabi into a complete, protein-rich meal. This is a popular street-food variation across Tunis.
- Even better the next day: Lablabi reheats beautifully. Make a large batch — the flavor deepens overnight.
- Vegan version: Simply omit the egg and tuna. The base recipe is naturally plant-based.
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$14.99
Harissa
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