Lablabi, Tunisian Chickpea Soup with OLYFO Gold

Lablabi is the bowl Tunis eats on cold mornings. Chickpeas are cooked soft in a garlic and cumin broth, poured over torn bread, and topped with harissa, lemon and a generous pour of raw OLYFO Gold. The oil goes on at the very end, never into the pot, so you taste it fresh, green and peppery against the heat of the broth. Serves 4.

Ingredients

400 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of cold water

6 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons ground cumin, plus more to serve

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 litres water

2 tablespoons harissa, plus more to serve

1 lemon, cut into wedges

4 thick slices of day old crusty bread, torn into pieces

4 eggs, optional

1 tablespoon capers, optional

OLYFO Gold extra virgin olive oil, about 4 tablespoons, to finish

Method

1. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas, then put them in a large pot with the water.
2. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat and simmer gently for about 1 hour, until the chickpeas are completely soft.
3. Crush 4 garlic cloves with the salt into a paste and stir it into the pot with the cumin and the harissa.
4. Simmer for another 15 minutes so the broth takes on the garlic and spice, then taste and add salt if needed.
5. If using eggs, poach or soft boil them while the soup finishes.
6. Divide the torn bread between four deep bowls.
7. Ladle the hot chickpeas and plenty of broth over the bread and let it soak for a minute.
8. Finely grate the remaining 2 garlic cloves over the bowls, add a spoon of harissa, a pinch of cumin, a few capers and an egg if using.
9. Finish each bowl with a tablespoon of raw OLYFO Gold, poured over the top so it pools on the surface.
10. Serve at once with lemon wedges on the side, and stir everything together at the table.