START TO FINISH: 45 minutes
SERVINGS: 8
This brothy-bready Tunisian chickpea soup gets punches of flavor from garlic, tomato paste and toasted cumin. To toast the cumin, in a small, dry skillet over medium, stir it constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute, then transfer to a small bowl. Store leftover soup and croutons separately for up to three days; refrigerate the soup and keep the croutons in an airtight container at room temperature. We also like to top this soup with halved soft-cooked eggs.
Don’t forget to reserve ⅓ cup of the chickpea liquid before draining. The starchy liquid gives the soup a rich body.
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve
1 large yellow onion, chopped
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons ground cumin, toasted, divided
6 tablespoons harissa, plus more to serve
Two 15½-ounce cans chickpeas, ⅓ cup liquid reserved, drained
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces crusty white bread, sliced ½ inch thick and torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, to serve
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped pitted green olives, to serve
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it browns, about 2 minutes.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of the cumin and the harissa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chickpeas, the reserved liquid and the broth. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil over high. Reduce to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, combine the bread, the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread is crisp and light golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the croutons cool in the pan, then transfer to a bowl.
When the soup is ready, stir in the lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons croutons in each serving bowl. Ladle the soup around them, then drizzle with oil. Garnish to taste with some of the remaining cumin, additional harissa, chopped cilantro and olives.