Moroccan · Soups

Lablabi (Spiced Chickpea Soup)

Near the Algerian border in Oujda, cross-border trade has long blurred culinary lines, and lablabi — a warming chickpea soup spiked with cumin and harissa — reflects that exchange. Poured over torn stale bread and topped with a soft egg, it turns humble chickpeas into a substantial, spicy meal.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 60 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy

Ingredients

400 g cooked chickpeas (or 200 g dried, soaked and cooked)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1.5 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp harissa, or to taste
4 tbsp olive oil
About 1 litre chickpea cooking liquid or water
4 eggs and stale bread, to serve
Salt

Method

1

Build the broth

Warm the oil in a pot, soften the garlic briefly with the cumin, paprika and harissa, then add the chickpeas and their liquid or water.
2

Simmer

Simmer 25–30 minutes so the flavours meld and some of the chickpeas break down slightly to thicken the broth.
3

Poach the eggs

Just before serving, poach the eggs, either directly in the simmering soup or separately in water.
4

Assemble

Tear stale bread into the base of each bowl, ladle the hot chickpea soup over it, and top each bowl with a poached egg.
5

Serve

Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a spoon of harissa on the side.

Chef's tips

Mash a few spoonfuls of chickpeas against the side of the pot as it simmers to naturally thicken the broth.
Use genuinely stale, dry bread — it soaks up the broth without turning to mush the way fresh bread would.
Poaching the egg directly in the soup saves a pan and lets the yolk enrich the broth as it breaks.

Frequently asked questions

Where does lablabi come from?

It is best known as a Tunisian dish, but along Morocco's eastern border around Oujda, where trade and family ties with Algeria and Tunisia run deep, a similar spiced chickpea soup is a regular feature of the table.

Can I skip the egg?

Yes, for a simpler vegan version, though the egg is what turns the soup from a starter into a full meal.