Chickpea Harissa Soup

Chickpea Harissa Soup
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(3,084)
Comments
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When the day calls for soup but your schedule doesn’t, look to an assertive ingredient that doesn’t require hours of simmering to extract flavor. Harissa, a North African chile paste, packs a punch right out of the jar (brands range in heat levels, though, so adjust quantity to taste). Dump in 2 cans of chickpeas: The starchy, seasoned liquid thickens the soup quickly. Besides that, additional vegetables and toppings you want to add are up to you: Soup should bend to your life, not the opposite.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1large yellow onion, diced (about ½ cup)
  • 1large carrot, diced (about ¼ cup)
  • Kosher salt
  • 6garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 to 2tablespoons harissa, or to taste
  • 2(14-ounce) cans chickpeas
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice
  • Honey, to taste (optional)
  • Toppings (optional): More lemon juice, celery, celery leaves, herbs (cilantro, parsley, mint), capers, pitted olives, croutons or bread crumbs, soft-boiled egg
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

395 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 628 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and a pinch of salt, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the harissa and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

  2. Step 2

    Add the chickpeas and their liquid. Fill a can with water, and add that to the pot as well. Season with salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are warmed and the flavors have come together, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Now taste it: Add salt, water (if too thick), honey (if too spicy), and/or harissa (if not spicy enough) to your liking. Serve hot, with whichever toppings you like.

Tip
  • Soup can be made 3 days in advance.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
3,084 user ratings
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Comments

Where does one buy harissa?

This was very good. I started with 2 cups dried chickpeas, cooked them with a few bay leaves in the Instapot, then transferred with cooking liquid to the carrot (4)/onion/harissa mixture. Added a can of chicken broth, another c water, 1/2 c rice, and some slivered kale and simmered for about 30 min. Served with parsley, cilantro, celery leaves (really good!), capers, and green olives on the side.

It’s soup. You don’t need to measure onions.

Oh WOW! I’ve been making this for desk lunches forever. I think I even left a commented previously that I add anchovy paste with the harissa, and chopped kale at the end. But I had never tried out a drizzle of honey as suggested. It makes it so much more balanced and delicious!! Just goes to show that NYT Cooking people know what they’re talking about.

Flavorless when prepared according to the instructions. Given the poor outcomes, the time required it too long.

Does anyone know if this would freeze well? Thanks in advance!

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