Name: Moroccan Chickpea Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, about 150 g, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp paprika; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes; 480 g tinned chickpeas, drained; 750 ml vegetable stock; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 10 g fresh coriander, chopped; ½ tsp salt

Moroccan Chickpea Soup

Chickpeas, tomatoes and onion simmered with cumin, paprika and cinnamon, finished with lemon and coriander.

45 min total Serves 4 servings Easy

Before You Start

Toast the spices in the oil before any liquid goes in.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas to keep the broth clear.

Crush some chickpeas to thicken the soup naturally.

Add the lemon juice last so it tastes fresh.

How to Make Moroccan Chickpea Soup

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Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
Stir in the cumin, paprika and cinnamon for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Crush a few chickpeas against the side of the pan. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and coriander.

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Why the Method Works

Toast the spices. Cumin, paprika and cinnamon stirred into hot oil for 30 seconds release their oils and turn a plain pot of chickpeas into something with depth.

Tinned chickpeas make this a quick soup, and they are among the cheapest sources of protein in the shop. Drain and rinse them first to lose the starchy liquid, which can turn the broth cloudy and slightly slimy.

Crush a few chickpeas with the back of a spoon near the end. They thicken the soup so it feels like a stew without any flour. Do not skip the lemon juice. It lifts the spices and stops the soup tasting flat.

Finish with fresh coriander. If you have none, parsley works. The soup improves overnight as the flavours settle. If the soup seems too thick after standing, loosen it with a splash of hot water and taste again, as the spices mellow a little overnight.

After You've Cooked It

Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Changing the Recipe

An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Serving Moroccan Chickpea Soup

Flatbread
Plain yoghurt
Dates
Harissa

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Moroccan Orange Salad, Msemen.