Leblebi Soup

A good friend shared this recipe with us and we really like it. I especially like that it is protein-packed because of the chickpeas. It easily becomes a vegetarian recipe when you replace the beef stock with vegetable stock!

This recipe is written out in 2 parts, the way I make it and then the recipe given to me by my friend, Tom, with his revisions.

Leblebi Soup

(Claudia)

INGREDIENTS

2 cans of chickpeas

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

7 packets of Herb Ox Low Sodium beef bouillon or Better Than Bouillon (or veggie stock)

9 cups of water

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon of curry
1/2 teaspoon red pepper (optional)

1 cup yoghurt
1 lemon

salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.

Saute the onion in the olive oil until soft in a pot.

Add the garlic, carrot, celery or leek, and cook 5-8 minutes.

While the vegetables cook, boil 4 cups of water and then mix with beef bouillon packets.

Add the drained chickpeas to the vegetables along with the 4 cups of broth, 5 cups of hot water, caraway seeds, black pepper, curry, and red pepper (optional).

Cover the pot with lid and cook for 40 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to lift the vegetables from the broth and transfer them to a blender.

Add yoghurt, squeeze 1/2 or a whole lemon into the soup, and as much cooking liquid as necessary to blend to a smooth puree.

Return the pureed mixture to the cooking pot, stirring it into the remaining cooking liquid. (You can also use an immersion blender and puree to your liking.) 

Stir until smooth, adding more water if the soup is too thick.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Garnish and serve with flat bread (like pita or naan).

--------------------------

(Tom)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 chickpeas, soaked overnight

1 tsp baking soda (optional)

1 large onion, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery or leek, thinly sliced

8 cups beef or lamb broth

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1C yoghurt

salt

Garnish: minced cilantro, Hareesa paste and cumin

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak chickpeas overnight in water to cover.

Drain chickpeas and cover again with water and add baking soda.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Drain.

Saute the onion in the olive oil until soft.

Add the garlic, carrot, celery or leek, and cook 3-5 minutes.

Add the drained chickpeas to the vegetables along with the broth, red pepper and caraway seeds.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour.

Use a slotted spoon to lift the vegetables from the broth and transfer them to a blender.

Add yoghurt and as much cooking luquid as necessary to blend to a smooth puree.

Return the pureed mixture to the cooking pot, stirring it into the remaining cooking liquid.

Stir until smooth, adding more water if the soup is too thick.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Garnish and serve by pouring over dry or toasted Arabic flat bread (like pita).

Toms' Revisions:

-To make the garlic more digestible I slice in half (each clove) and remove the green germ/kernel in the middle--you still have the great garlic taste without the indegestion. The 1 teaspoon of baking soda also helps with the digestion and softens the chickpeas.

-Careful with the salt as it is easy to over salt the basic soup mix. For the beef bouillon I use low sodium Herb Ox Very Low Sodium packets. I use 7 instead of 8 (1 packet per 8 oz boiling water).

-I use two 8 oz cans of low or no salt chickpeas with the liquid drained instead the procedure above. You do not need to soak these overnight and you do not need to precook these.

-I use 9 cups of water. Boil 4 cups of water and mix all of the spices in this water and then add 5 more cups of hot water to the pot.

-I add 1 teaspoon of black pepper.

-I add 1 teaspoon of curry powder - more if desired but not more than 2 teaspoons.

-I squeeze one lemon into the pot.

-You can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper for the 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper, if you like.

-I usually add one more carrot and one more celery stalk.

-I cook it all in the pressure cooker for 25 minutes after the valve begins to turn and I turn the heat to medium.

-After cooking and blending with the one cup of yoghurt, mix all remainder of soup with the blended.

-Add salt to please when it is served, if needed.

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