Lablabi -Chickpea Breakfast Stew(Tunisia)

Lablabi is a popular breakfast stew made with chickpeas, broth, tomatoes, and various toppings such as capers, cumin, harissa, coddled eggs. Lablabi is a favorite winter morning breakfast for stevedores in Tunis. Throughout the city it is a morning offering in the small hole-in-the-wall cook shops. The actual soup is very simple and it’s depth of flavor derives from the garnishes you decide to use. As a tourist you will come home wanting lablabi in the morning; that’s how seductive it is. From Clifford A. Wright.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  cups  cooked chickpeas, drained
• 2  tablespoons  hot harissa
• 4  large garlic cloves, mashed
• 1  tablespoon  freshly ground cumin seed
•  salt
• 1  lemon, juice of
• 1⁄4 cup  extra-virgin olive oil

• Garnishes

•  fresh lemon juice
•  coarse sea salt
•  coddled egg
•  seeded and finely chopped green bell pepper
•  chopped very ripe tomatoes
•  dollops harissa
•  capers, rinsed
•  pickled turnip
•  finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
•  finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (coriander)
•  leftover  bread, any kind, ripped
•  extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Place the chickpeas in a saucepan and cover with water.
2. Boil until soft, about 30 minutes, then stir in the harissa, garlic, cumin, and salt.
3. Stir well, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil.
5. Serve with more lemon juice, salt, and ground cumin to taste.
6. Serve with any combination and any amount of optional garnishes, including more harissa and olive oil.