Lablabi (Tunisian Chickpea Stew) Recipe
This comforting Tunisian chickpea stew is so simple to put together and made with pantry staples you may already have on hand. Nutritious and satisfying, it’s usually served for breakfast, but can really be enjoyed any time of the day.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
- 1/2 loaf rustic bread
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 to 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste, more for later
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 green onions, trimmed and chopped (both white and green parts)
Instructions
- Prepare the canned chickpeas: In a medium saucepan, set over medium-high heat add the chickpeas with their liquids and cover the chickpeas with water by about 1 inch.
- Boil then simmer the chickpeas: Bring the chickpeas to a boil, then lower the heat and cover part-way with a lid. Simmer the chickpeas over low heat for about 30 minutes or until very tender.
- Toast the bread: Set your oven rack about 6 inches beneath the boiler and set the broiler to high. While the chickpeas cook, tear some hearty crusty bread into a little larger than bite-size pieces and arrange them on a large sheet. Drizzle the bread with extra virgin olive oil, toss to coat and arrange them so the pieces are crust side down. Broil briefly, maybe a minute or so just until the bread turns golden brown. Watch carefully, as the bread can go from golden brown to burnt quickly!
- Saute the onions and garlic: Add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet set over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions and garlic, a dash of kosher salt, cumin, coriander, and paprika. Cook over medium heat, tossing regularly until the onions are tender and translucent.
- Season the chickpea stew: When the chickpeas are ready, transfer the onion and garlic mixture to the saucepan with the chickpeas. Add 1 tablespoon harissa paste, a big pinch of kosher salt, juice from 1 lemon, chopped parsley, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve: Slice the remaining lemon into wedges. Prepare serving bowls and place a few pieces of toasted bread on the bottom. Ladle the lablabi chickpea stew on top of the bread and add a good drizzle of olive oil, a dollop of harissa, more parsley, and the chopped green onions. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and more of the toasted bread to the side.
Video
Notes
- Additions: Lablabi can be served with poached eggs on top for an even heartier meal. You can also add sides of preserved lemons, pink pickled turnips, and olives.
- Rustic bread: If you have leftover toasted bread use it in salads, pulse it in your food processor to make bread crumbs. Add some Italian Seasoning to the bread crumbs and sprinkle over pasta, or add to meatballs.
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams and spices.
Nutrition
Calories: 196.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 7.8g | Fat: 1.9g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 281.2mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5.9g | Vitamin A: 859.4IU | Vitamin C: 43.2mg | Calcium: 76.5mg | Iron: 3.7mg
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