Moroccan Chickpea Soup: Bessara Hummus
Warning: This chickpea soup is hot!
I’ve always had recourse to bessara (legume soup) as an antidote for cold weather. Lentil, white bean or split pea soup have always been a staple of our winter dinners. So when I warned that this soup was hot, it was as much for the warming effect it has on the body as it was for its spiciness. It definitely has a bit of a kick. But it’ll still warm you up from head to toe (although to a lesser degree) if you choose to make it mild and leave out the pepper flakes.
I find bessara to taste better the second day, and even better the third and fourth. So don’t hesitate to double or triple the amount of ingredients suggested to make a large pot that will last you for days. With a bit of foresight, it’ll come in handy for those nights when you don’t feel like making dinner. You can simply reheat a bowl and enjoy it with a hunk of country bread or baguette and a wedge of fresh goat cheese, and you’ve got yourself a meal.
Moroccan Chickpea Soup Recipe
4 to 6 servings
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
5 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 small potato, peeled and halved
1 small red onion, yellow onion or leek, peeled and halved
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Lemon juice and paprika for serving (optional)
Place all of the ingredients in a soup pot over medium heat. Cover with a lid and cook, 20 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Blend the soup into a puree using a stick or a container blender.
Serve warm with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of paprika. Refrigerate leftovers for up to a week.
rss feed
email
twitter
facebook
pinterest
Bria @ West of Persia — 01/17/2011 @ 1:42 am
Love a hot bowl of soup on a cold night. What a bonus that this recipe is so simple and elegant :-)
Sweet Artichoke — 01/17/2011 @ 8:34 am
What a delicious, conforting & healthy soup! Love the warning and the beautiful picture!
Couscous & Consciousness — 01/17/2011 @ 9:26 am
Nisrine, this soup looks wonderful – I've bookmarked this one to make when winter rolls around here :-)
Thanks for stopping by my blog – so thrilled to hear that you have been doing some yoga and enjoying it – I do hope you keep it up, as I know that with perseverance it becomes a wonderfully rewarding and sustaining practice.
Sue xo
ProChef360 — 01/17/2011 @ 9:37 am
If it is half as tasty as it looks it must be a winner.
I will give this recipe a test drive ASAP.
Thanks for sharing.
Matthew
oneordinaryday — 01/17/2011 @ 12:52 pm
I'm happy to find another soup recipe using things I almost always have on hand. Thanks – it looks great.
the constant hunger — 01/17/2011 @ 1:03 pm
I love the ease of making a soup. Simple and delicious, you can make a huge batch and freeze it. I have never tried a chickpea soup, though I've made plenty of slit pea and lentil soups. I think I'm gonna double the amount of red pepper flakes. I love spicy soup!
Erica — 01/17/2011 @ 2:02 pm
This sounds heavenly to me! Love chickpeas and love heat! I'm always guilty of adding a little extra red pepper into my dishes.
Thank you for the congrats :)
Evan Thomas — 01/17/2011 @ 4:49 pm
This soup sounds delicious! I love spicy soups. I would definitely want to make extra batches of this to eat throughout the week since I'm sure I wouldn't get tired of it.
Barbara — 01/17/2011 @ 5:59 pm
What a gorgeous presentation, Nisrine. The bowl is lovely. This soup looks so good…easy and comforting.
SaraOneTribeGourmet — 01/17/2011 @ 6:57 pm
Nisrine, I love Bessara! I learned how to make it in Fes at the cookery school! Also I have that same bowl too! :)
Lael Hazan @educatedpalate — 01/17/2011 @ 7:11 pm
I love the idea of warming up inside and out. And a soup that tastes better each day is a must.
Jennifurla — 01/17/2011 @ 7:13 pm
What a great soup, I love to have something like this in hte refrigerator.
Mademoiselle Poirot — 01/17/2011 @ 7:46 pm
Salut Nisrine. Isn't it so often the case that soups, stews and even some desserts just taste better on the 2nd or 3rd day… This one looks delicious. A beautiful new header on your blog, too. Have a great week, Bisous & Love from London xo
A Canadian Foodie — 01/17/2011 @ 8:06 pm
Simple, satisfying, delicious, nutritious and mighty tasty…. what more could one ask? And it looks good, too! I thought there would be Tahini in it because of the title – that might be a tasty little addition, too.
:)
Valerie
sophiesfoodiefiles — 01/17/2011 @ 9:00 pm
MMMMMMM,..what a tasty, smooth & thicker soup!!
I love these beautifully combined flavours!
sophiesfoodiefiles — 01/17/2011 @ 9:01 pm
I also moved my blog to wordpress.com. Come over & check me out! You may want to update your RSS!
Greets!
Hannah — 01/18/2011 @ 12:45 am
Oh my heavens, I'm in love with this recipe! Chickpeas are my absolute favourite legume, and I need to have recipes like this to stop me just eating them straight from the can ;)
Liz — 01/18/2011 @ 2:03 am
Love it! Super simple and i'm sure it is delicious!
Stephanie Weaver — 01/18/2011 @ 2:48 am
Nisrine,
I was excited to find your blog, and the first thing I see is this delicious soup, in a bowl that I have as well… we went to Morocco two years ago. My husband will be excited to try this soup, which looks delish!
Hazel — 01/18/2011 @ 7:44 am
What a perfect recipe for winter! I have never tried chick peas in a soup but I am addicted to houmous so I'm sure I would be addicted to this…!
Stefania — 01/18/2011 @ 8:20 am
Una graziosa ricetta e un'invitante foto, ciao
Trix — 01/18/2011 @ 12:45 pm
This is just the sort of thing I have been craving all month! Lovely. I would be happy with double the pepper flakes ; )
Cajun Chef Ryan — 01/18/2011 @ 3:59 pm
Amazing flavors in this soup, I cannot wait to try a bowl of this tasty potage!
Bon appetit!
Su-Lin — 01/18/2011 @ 5:32 pm
Mmmmm… it looks so smooth and delicious! And healthy!
Emily Z — 01/18/2011 @ 6:28 pm
What a delicious looking soup. It sounds so wonderful and healthy. Beautiful presentation, too!
Cara — 01/18/2011 @ 6:36 pm
have you ever tried stirring in a spoonful of tahini? I bet that would be delicious!
Fimère — 01/18/2011 @ 8:24 pm
une soupe qui ne peut être que délicieuse, j'adore
bonne soirée
Sonnet — 01/18/2011 @ 8:54 pm
This sounds so delicious and simple to make! What a beautiful photograph too! :)
Anna Johnston — 01/18/2011 @ 9:34 pm
Mmmm, chickpeas & houmous…, nice one :)
Juliana — 01/18/2011 @ 11:08 pm
Nisrine, this soup looks delicious, never had chickpea soup…and sure will give this one a try :-)
Shulie — 01/18/2011 @ 11:12 pm
Love chickpeas, had them in a soup but never mashed. This looks very good Nisrine, nourishing and perfect this this wintery night! BTW, love the 'finjan' but really looking for those Moroccan tea glasses. Ideas where can I get them? Other then traveling all the way to Morocco?
La Table De Nana — 01/19/2011 @ 12:27 am
What a beautiful photo..this looks too good to not be on my to make list..Thank you~
Jane @ Sweet Basil Kitchen — 01/19/2011 @ 2:21 am
Mmmmm…the perfect soup to warm me up after coming back to the frigid heartland!!
Reeni — 01/19/2011 @ 2:22 am
Sounds so hearty and warming Nisrine! I love your new look too – very pretty.
Magic of Spice — 01/19/2011 @ 2:30 am
Gorgeous soup and photo, wow! I am just imagining the wonderful texture this must have,
delightful :)
Barbara Bakes — 01/19/2011 @ 4:30 am
What an elegant bowl and delicious way to serve your wonderful soup.
Joe — 01/19/2011 @ 9:05 am
I shouldn't be dreaming of Winter in the middle of summer right now in Sydney but this soup makes me want to lick the bowl!
Rachana — 01/19/2011 @ 10:32 am
What a gorgeous presentation. The Soup looks so comforting and yumm.
Neeta — 01/19/2011 @ 11:25 am
This sounds like a gorgeous soup and I love anything with chick peas for sure!!! Thanks for the recipe, I'm definitely going to make this one :-)
Joanne — 01/19/2011 @ 12:21 pm
I have a bit of an obsession with chickpeas lately so I am so totally making this! I know it would be love at first spoonful.
Dimah — 01/19/2011 @ 1:07 pm
Your soup is beautiful, looks so comforting and flavorful!
What Happens After Five — 01/19/2011 @ 3:01 pm
This looks and sounds delicious!!
http://happensafterfive.wordpress.com
My Carolina Kitchen — 01/19/2011 @ 5:42 pm
What a beautiful photo of your soup. Wow and double wow.
Sam
blackbookkitchendiaries — 01/19/2011 @ 6:51 pm
this looks simply lovely!
A Busy Nest — 01/19/2011 @ 7:45 pm
I have never had chickpea soup but love hummus and chickpeas. This looks and sounds delicious!
Jennifer (Delicieux) — 01/19/2011 @ 10:16 pm
This soup looks divine and very comforting.
Ameena — 01/20/2011 @ 4:02 am
I love everything Moroccan so surely I will love this delicious soup. Thank you for a wonderful recipe that I can actually make! I am kind of an elementary cook so this is perfect for me.
Nisrine Merzouki — 01/20/2011 @ 10:24 pm
Cara, I've never used tahini in this soup but I bet the sesame taste would be a beautiful addition.
sheila @ Elements — 01/22/2011 @ 6:35 pm
Yummmmmm! So smooth and creamy!! I'll have to make this one of these cold winter days! Sounds great! :)
Shel — 01/25/2011 @ 5:57 pm
This looks just so warm and comforting! I'm visiting you through Latabledenana.
Your blog is beautiful.
Shel