Chickpea Soup without Tomato
Clear chickpea soup with garlic, cumin and lemon.
Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 1 hr 10 min · Total: 13 hr 25 min · 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 4 cloves garlic, minced — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 30 ml fresh lemon juice — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 1 tsp salt — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 1000 ml fresh boiling cooking water — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- 250 g dried chickpeas — Dry weight before soaking, not drained canned or soaked weight.
- water for soaking, discarded — Measured for the base batch; use the scaled ingredient list for other yields.
- boiling water only if needed — Conditional top-up during simmering; not an extra fixed litre.
- chilli powder, to taste (optional) — Optional seasoning, added at serving.
Instructions
Measure dry chickpeas and sort
Measure 250 g chickpeas dry, before soaking, for 4 serving cups. Sort out stones or damaged beans and rinse. Keep 1000 ml cooking water separate from soaking water; final soup volume is not guaranteed.
Dry weight is measured and chickpeas are sorted.
Soak in the refrigerator
Cover chickpeas generously with separate soaking water and refrigerate for about 12 hours. Drain completely and discard the soaking water; it is not part of the measured cooking liquid.
Chickpeas are soaked cold and drained.
Refrigerated soaking check: 43200 seconds
Simmer until completely tender
Bring drained chickpeas and 1000 ml fresh boiling water to a boil, skim foam, then cover with an ordinary lid and simmer gently. Check from about 1 hour until fully tender. Add conditional boiling water only if needed to maintain soup liquid and prevent drying.
Chickpeas are soft all the way through and liquid remains.
Chickpea tenderness check: 3600 seconds
Infuse garlic and spices
Add all 4 minced garlic cloves, 1.5 tsp cumin and 1 tsp salt. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until garlic is cooked and the broth is fragrant.
Garlic is cooked and broth is aromatic.
Garlic infusion check: 600 seconds
Finish with lemon
Stir in the measured 30 ml lemon juice just before removing the pot from heat. Taste only after the chickpeas and garlic are fully cooked; no unlisted oil, parsley or tomato is required.
Lemon is incorporated without extra hidden ingredients.
Add optional chilli at serving
Divide the hot soup between 4 heat-safe cups or bowls; fourfold ingredients give 16 serving cups. Add optional chilli to taste. Cup count is a portion convention, not an exact final litre yield.
Soup is divided into heat-safe serving vessels.
Check texture before serving
Check that chickpeas are fully tender and the broth remains pourable. Handle hot cups carefully and let each serving cool to a comfortable eating temperature; no straw is required.
Chickpeas are tender and servings are handled without scalding.
Chill unused soup promptly
Transfer unused soup to shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour at 4°C or colder. Use within 2 days and reheat a portion at most once to 74°C throughout.
Unused soup is promptly refrigerated in shallow containers.
Tips
- Scale ingredient amounts with the selected yield; cooking times are estimated checks, not multiplied guarantees.
Common mistakes
- Relying only on the timer or surface colour rather than the stated readiness and handling checks.
Substitutions
- Use the specified master ingredients. Prepared dough and spice blends are explicit compound ingredients; no unseen homemade subrecipes are assumed.
Storage
Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers within 1 hour at 4°C or colder; do not wait for full cooling on the counter. Use within 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat only the portion needed, at most once, to 74°C throughout. Reheating does not repair previous unsafe holding.
About this recipe
This owner-approved Egyptian clear soup uses dried chickpeas and a measured fresh cooking-water allowance.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.