A warming, creamy chickpea soup seasoned with cumin, garlic, and a generous squeeze of lemon. This humble Libyan staple is both nutritious and deeply comforting.
Ingredients
2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt and pepper
6 cups water
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
1Drain soaked chickpeas and place in a large pot with 6 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil.
2Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes until chickpeas are very tender. Partially mash some for thickness.
3In a separate pan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add cumin, turmeric, and cayenne.
4Add the sauteed onion mixture to the chickpea pot. Stir well and simmer 5 more minutes.
5Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
6Serve hot in bowls, garnished with fresh cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil.
Did You Know?
Lebia is so fundamental to Libyan cooking that the chickpea itself is called "lebia" in Libyan Arabic dialect.