Best 10 Tunisian Soup Recipes

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Tunisian soup is a diverse and flavorful cuisine, blending traditional Arabic, Berber, and Mediterranean ingredients and cooking techniques. From hearty stews like Chorba Frik and flavorful Shakshouka to refreshing soups like Marqa Hlou and tangy Bessara, Tunisian soups offer a range of options for every palate. This culinary journey will explore the aromatic and delicious world of Tunisian soups, providing recipes and insights into their unique characteristics, cultural significance, and culinary versatility, allowing you to recreate these vibrant dishes in your own kitchen and experience the rich tapestry of Tunisian cuisine.

Let's cook with our recipes!

LABLABI (TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SOUP)



Lablabi (Tunisian Chickpea Soup) image

This soup is served for breakfast in Tunisia. If you can, use homemade chicken stock, it is far superior to the store bought kind.

Provided by Anonymous

Categories     Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes     Soup Recipes

Time 30m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

4 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
2 teaspoons harissa
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 slices sourdough bread, cubed
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
4 large soft-boiled eggs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Steps:

  • Combine stock, chickpeas, harissa, cumin, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce temperature, and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  • Divide bread, chopped parsley, cilantro, and capers between 4 soup bowls. Scoop an egg from the shell into each bowl, pour soup on top, and drizzle with olive oil.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 294.9 calories, Carbohydrate 30 g, Cholesterol 186.7 mg, Fat 14 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Protein 13.3 g, SaturatedFat 2.9 g, Sodium 1770.7 mg, Sugar 1.3 g

LABLABI - TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SOUP



Lablabi - Tunisian Chickpea Soup image

Simple, but tasty soup my father made on occasion when I was young. I found it on an African recipe site whilst trying to track down another forgotten recipe I longed for. Preparation time excludes the time taken to soak chickpeas. Some tips and ideas.- "The soup can also be served by placing portions of bread crumbs in each soup bowl, ladling the soup over the bread, and pouring equal portions of lemon juice and olive oil over the soup. Serve with additional harissa on the side. A richer lablabi soup can be made by frying the garlic, some chopped red onion, a chopped carrot, and some chopped celery in olive oil, and adding this to the cooked chick peas. Additionally, the chick peas can be cooked in chicken broth or chicken stock. Goes well with hard-boiled egg or pan-fried fish."

Provided by yasminx

Categories     Beans

Time 50m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 cups dried garbanzo beans or 2 cups canned chick-peas
4 -6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon harissa
1 tablespoon cumin
salt, to taste
1 lemon, juice of
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 slices of day-old bread, preferably day-old French bread, broken into small pieces

Steps:

  • Wash chickpeas and soak overnight (if using dried).
  • If desired, rinse them again. In a large soup pot, cover chickpeas with water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender (ten to twenty minutes). - Or start with two pounds of canned chick peas, drained and rinsed, and heated in four cups of water.
  • Add garlic, harissa sauce, ground cumin, and salt. Simmer for ten minutes. Immediately before serving: add lemon juice, olive oil, and bread crumbs. Serve hot.

LEBLABI ( TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SOUP)



Leblabi ( Tunisian Chickpea Soup) image

After all the excesses of the holidays, this is such a nice, light and brothy soup to turn to. It has all of my favorites, including lemon, cilantro, garlic and chickpeas, and it has a surprise taste of caraway. Plus, it goes together in about a half-hour (unless you want to make it from scratch with dried beans). Serve with crispy croutons.

Provided by EdsGirlAngie

Categories     Beans

Time 40m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 teaspoon ground caraway (you can use the whole seeds... but this is a light soup and they will sink to the bottom of the bowl)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (14 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (garbanzos)
2 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth or 4 cups of your own vegetable broth
2 cups water
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

Steps:

  • In a large saucepan or soup pot, saute the garlic and jalapenos in the olive oil until garlic is lightly golden.
  • Add the caraway and oregano and stir in for a couple of minutes.
  • Add the chickpeas, broth and water; simmer together over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, season to taste with salt and pepper (I like lots of black pepper); simmer for 5 more minutes and serve topped with croutons.

TUNISIAN AROMATIC FISH SOUP WITH POTATOES



Tunisian Aromatic Fish Soup with Potatoes image

Categories     Soup/Stew     Fish     Herb     Potato     Tomato     Quick & Easy     Lunch     Healthy     Bon Appétit     Sugar Conscious     Pescatarian     Dairy Free     Wheat/Gluten-Free     Peanut Free     Tree Nut Free     Soy Free     No Sugar Added     Kosher

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 12

4 cups water
1 pound potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, quartered
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro or parsley
1 pound 1-inch-thick firm white fish fillets (such as cod, haddock or sea bass)
3 tablespoons olive oil

Steps:

  • Combine first 9 ingredients in large pot. Add 1/3 cup cilantro and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes. Add fish and olive oil and simmer until fish is cooked, about 10 minutes. Using back of spoon, break up fish into smaller pieces. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and serve.

TUNISIAN TOMATO SOUP WITH CHICKPEAS AND LENTILS



Tunisian Tomato Soup With Chickpeas and Lentils image

A variation on a Molly Katzen recipe I found on the Internet. Though the spices are quite different, the basic ingredients -- tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas -- remind me of the popular Moroccan soup called harrira. Have not yet tried this one but as fall comes, this will certainly make an appearance in my soup pot.

Provided by justcallmetoni

Categories     Lentil

Time 1h15m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 19

1 cup lentils, sorted & rinsed
1 cinnamon stick
7 cups water (more or less)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups minced onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 bay leaves
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (canned is fine)
black pepper
cayenne pepper
currants (optional)
plain yogurt (optional)
parsley, chopped (optional)
of fresh mint, chopped (optional)

Steps:

  • In a large soup pot, place lentils with the cinnamon stick in 7 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and drain the lentils, reserving the liquid.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, salt, turmeric, cumin seeds, ground cumin, and bay leaves. Saute over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the onions are soft. If the pot gets a bit dry moisten with some of the reserved lentil water.
  • Measure out the reserved lentil water and add water to reach 6 cups of liquid and return to soup pot with the spiced cooked onions. Add the canned crushed tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook for another 15 minutes or so.
  • Stir in the chickpeas and lentils and cook for about 5 minutes to warm through. The legumes should not become mushy.
  • Season to taste with the two peppers and lemon juice; adjust salt.
  • Serve hot with some yogurt [omit for Vegan], a sprinkling of parsley or mint, and currants, if desired.

LEBLEBI - TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SOUP



Leblebi - Tunisian Chickpea Soup image

I was watching a traveling show and they were showing a brief section on street food of Tunisia, I saw this been served up and immediately was entranced by this ancient dish served for men at breakfast eaten outdoors. There are not many recipes out there but I managed to track this one down from this web site. http://www.lindystoast.com/2006/02/leblebi_tunisia.html, it was original sourced from Paula Wolfert's Slow Mediterranean Kitchen. The chick peas are a pain to peel but if you love traditional hearty breakfast fare without the meat, the pain is rewarded! DO NOT USE CANNED CHICK PEAS!

Provided by Sommelier to boot

Categories     Breakfast

Time 11h

Yield 8 BOWLS, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

230 g dried garbanzo beans, soaked overnight in water to cover, with a pinch of baking soda
2 cups vegetarian beef broth
4 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 egg, per person
1/2 cup day-old French bread, cubed per person
harissa, thinned with water to pouring consistency
1 pinch ground cumin
fresh ground pepper
16 manzanilla olives
capers
diced roasted red pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon wedge, per person

Steps:

  • To make the chickpeas, preheat the oven to 115°. Put the soaked prepared chickpeas, stock, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and extra water to cover the peas by 1", if necessary, into a heavy lidded pot or casserole pot. Bring to a boil, cover and put in oven for about 3 hours, or until fully cooked and silky. Now, you can keep going, or store the soup in the fridge for a day or two, until you're ready to go. When you are ready you can make it all (serves 8) or a bit now, and more later. If you have refrigerated it, you can easily remove the fat from the top.
  • When you are ready to eat, reheat the chickpeas in their liquid, while you prepare the eggs. Fill a bowl with ice water. For each bowl of soup, put one egg in a pan of not quite boiling water. Cover pan and turn off the heat. After 6 minutes, slip the eggs into the ice water to cool. Once they ar cool, peel them carefully, leaving the medium cooked eggs whole. This is a little bit fidlely but worth the effort after coming so far, or a runny boiled/fried egg can do the job too!
  • Put some stale bread in the bottom of each bowl, and cover with a portion of chickpeas and their cooking liquid. Set an egg on top of each bowl, and cut it so that the yolk runs. Dribble some harissa sauce over each and sprinkle with cumin and freshly ground pepper. Top with olives, capers, and diced bell pepper. Dribble on a bit of olive oil, and squeeze the lemon wedge over all.
  • This is a satisfying, belly-warming, invigorating soup, to cure you if you are both tired and hungry. But don't substitute for those chickpeas!
  • Serve with a Sangiovese.

TUNISIAN SOUP WITH CHARD AND EGG NOODLES



Tunisian Soup With Chard and Egg Noodles image

I found this at epicurious who got it from gourmet. The North African hot sauce called harissa lends this soup its beautiful brick-red color, as well as a deep, spicy warmth that isn't the least bit aggressive. For a supper that's both robust and rejuvenating, chard, chickpeas, and noodles go into the pot, too.

Provided by Elmotoo

Categories     Chard

Time 50m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 lb swiss chard, stems and center ribs chopped and leaves coarsely chopped (reserve separately)
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 quarts rich and flavorful chicken stock
1 -2 tablespoon harissa (to taste) or 1 -2 tablespoon hot sauce (to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 (19 ounce) can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
4 ounces fine egg noodles (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 lemon wedges, for accompaniment

Steps:

  • Toast cumin in a dry small heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat, stirring, until deeply fragrant and dark brown (be careful not to burn). Cool, then grind to a powder in grinder.
  • Cook chard stems, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add stock, harissa, and lemon juice and simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
  • Add chard leaves, chickpeas, and noodles with 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Serve soup sprinkled with remaining cumin.
  • note:.
  • Soup, without noodles, can be made 3 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Bring to a simmer and cook noodles in soup before serving.

TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SOUP (LABLABI)



Tunisian Chickpea Soup (Lablabi) image

Categories     Bean

Number Of Ingredients 2

1 recipe FOR THE CRISPY CHICKPEAS: 1 ¾ cup cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 teaspoon za'atar, plus more to taste
1 recipe FOR THE SOUP: 1 ½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving 2 bay leaves 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste ½ loaf hearty rustic bread (about 8 ounces) 1 cup chopped onion, from 1 medium onion 6 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated 1 tablespoon ground cumin, plus more for serving 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon harissa, plus more for serving 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, for serving ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Steps:

  • Prepare the crispy chickpeas: Transfer chickpeas to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a clean dish towel or paper towels. Cover with another towel (or paper towels) on top, rubbing gently to dry. Remove top towel and let air-dry for at least 30 minutes and preferably 1 hour.
  • start preparing the soup: In a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot, combine soaked chickpeas, 5 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon salt over high heat. Bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until chickpeas are tender, about 1 to 2 hours. Heat oven to 400 degrees. While chickpeas are cooking, cut bread into thick slices, then tear slices into bite-size pieces. Place bread in one layer on large rimmed baking sheet and toast until crisp and light brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool on pan and set aside. Finish the crunchy chickpeas: Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees. Remove the towels from baking sheet with the chickpeas, and toss the chickpeas with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and za'atar until well coated. Roast until golden and crispy, about 13 to 18 minutes, tossing halfway through. When chickpeas are still hot, sprinkle lightly more salt. Taste and add more salt or za'atar, or both, if you'd like. When the chickpeas for the soup are tender, discard bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 2 cups of chickpeas, 1/2 cup of chickpea cooking liquid and 1/4 cup olive oil to a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to blitz half the chickpeas into a rough purée. Add the olive oil before puréeing. The broth won't be as silky as it would be puréed in a regular blender, but it will taste just as good.) In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add a splash of the chickpea cooking liquid to the pan, and bring to a simmer to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat. Add chickpea purée and onion mixture to soup, along with harissa and lemon juice, and stir well. Add a little water if soup seems too thick, and more salt, if needed. To serve, divide toasted bread pieces among soup bowls, then ladle in soup. Garnish with lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, more cumin and some of the crispy chickpeas - you'll have leftovers. Serve hot, with more harissa on the side

TUNISIAN SOUP WITH CHARD AND EGG NOODLES



Tunisian Soup with Chard and Egg Noodles image

Provided by Ruth Cousineau

Categories     Soup/Stew     Dinner     Lunch     Chickpea     Winter     Chard     Noodle     Simmer     Coffee Grinder     Gourmet

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 pound Swiss chard, stems and center ribs chopped and leaves coarsely chopped (reserve separately)
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 quarts rich and flavorful chicken stock ; or 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth diluted with 3 cups water
1 to 2 tablespoons harissa or other hot sauce (to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 (19-ounces) can chickpeas, rinsed
4 ounce fine egg noodles (about 1 1/2 cups)
Equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder
Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Steps:

  • Toast cumin in a dry small heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat, stirring, until deeply fragrant and dark brown (be careful not to burn). Cool, then grind to a powder in grinder.
  • Cook chard stems, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add stock, harissa, and lemon juice and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
  • Add chard leaves, chickpeas, and noodles with 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, until tender, about 7 minutes.
  • Serve soup sprinkled with remaining cumin.

TUNISIAN EGG NOODLE SOUP WITH CHARD



Tunisian Egg Noodle Soup with Chard image

The harissa gives this flavorful soup a deep brick-red color, and the warm spices add a rich depth and robust flavor.

Provided by Vickie Parks

Categories     Other Soups

Time 1h

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 tsp cumin seed
1 lb swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and coarsely chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oild
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 qt rich chicken stock
1 Tbsp harissa (or other hot sauce), or to taste
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
19 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c fine egg noodles (4 ounces)
1 large lemon, cut into 6 wedges

Steps:

  • 1. Toast cumin in a dry small heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat, stirring, until deeply fragrant and dark brown (be careful not to burn). Cool, then grind to a powder in grinder.
  • 2. Cook chard stems, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, salt, and pepper in the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add stock, harissa, and lemon juice and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
  • 3. Add chard leaves, chickpeas, and noodles with 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, until tender, about 7 minutes.
  • 4. Serve soup sprinkled with remaining cumin, and add lemon wedge garnish.
  • 5. NOTE / TO MAKE IN ADVANCE: The soup can be made, without the egg noodles, up to 3 days in advance. To serve, bring the soup to a simmer, add the egg noodles and cook until noodles are soft (about 10 to 15 minutes), and serve.

Tips for Making Tunisian Soup:

  • Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best flavor.
  • If you can't find Tunisian harissa, you can substitute another type of hot pepper paste, such as Sriracha or sambal oelek.
  • Be careful not to overcook the vegetables. You want them to be tender but still have a little bit of crunch.
  • Serve the soup with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh herbs, such as cilantro or parsley.

Conclusion:

Tunisian soup is a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is also a great way to use up leftover vegetables. With its unique blend of spices and flavors, this soup is sure to be a hit with your family and friends. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting soup recipe, give Tunisian soup a try. You won't be disappointed!

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