Greek Chickpea soup, also known as Revithia soupa is a hearty, comforting soup with the simplest yet most delicious flavors. A bowl of this soup with crusty bread is all you need to warm up your soul on a cold night. It's also vegan and gluten-free.
Being an Indian, I am more inclined to hot and spicy food. I love the cuisines in which a lot of hot chilies are used like Korean, Mexican, and Malaysian.
Even for an average Indian, my tolerance for heat in food is quite high. I rarely find any food marked as extra spicy on a restaurant's menu card to be spicy enough for me.
However, as I started exploring more cuisines through my blog, I have become more adaptable to different flavors and learned to enjoy the simplest and mildest dishes.
Strangely, despite having almost no trace of heat in them, Iranian dish Fesenjan and Greek dishes like Greek Watermelon Salad, and Greek Yogurt dip are now on my list of favorite dishes.
Though I still love hot and spicy food, I equally enjoy milder flavors.
Today’s recipe- Greek Chickpea soup, traditionally known as Revithia soupa or Revitho soupa is one such recipe that is created by using the simplest ingredients but is very flavorful and satisfying.
What's needed to make Greek chickpea soup?
To make Revithia soupa, you will need some basic ingredients that are shown below:
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
- Dried chickpeas: Use organic dried chickpeas to make this Greek soup. You will get the perfect consistency and taste of Revithiosoupa only if you cook dried chickpeas from scratch. However, if you don't have time or patience for that you can use canned chickpeas too but you won't get the same result. I have tried both and the one made with dried chickpeas tastes far better.
- Onion: I have used brown onion, you can use red too.
- Fresh dill: My favorite herb to use in Greek recipes is dill. You can also use fresh parsley or rosemary to flavor this soup.
- Lemon: For extra refreshing lemony flavor, use lemon juice as well as zest.
- Olive oil: Olive oil is a key ingredient in this recipe. Use a good quality olive oil to get the best flavor.
How to make (step-by-step instructions)?
Step 1: Wash dried chickpeas and soak them in water for around 7 hours or overnight. After 7 hours, discard the water and rinse the chickpeas again 2-3 times.
Step 2: Heat olive oil in a cooking pot.
Step 3: Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and minced garlic.
Step 4: Cook for 4-5 minutes.
Step 5: Add bay leaf and dried oregano. Saute for a few seconds.
Step 6: Add soaked chickpeas. Saute them for a minute too.
Step 7: Add vegetable stock and mix.
Step 8: Cover the pot.
Step 9: Cook covered for around 1.5 hours or until the chickpeas are nicely cooked. Keep on checking and stirring in between. If required, add more vegetable stock.
Step 10: Remove the bay leaf.
Step 11: Take out a ladle full of cooked chickpeas and put them in a grinding jar or food processor. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and ground black pepper.
Step 12: Pulse to make a smooth paste.
Step 13: Add chickpea paste to the cooking pot.
Steps 14 and 15: Mix and cook for another 2 minutes.
Step 16: Garnish with chopped dill.
Your delicious Greek chickpea soup is ready to be enjoyed!
How to serve?
The best way to enjoy Revithia soup is with some toasted bread. Dip the bread into the soup, allow it to soak the flavors, and then take a bite. It's delicious.
You can also serve a refreshing salad on the side like this Greek potato salad, or orzo salad.
It can also be paired with grilled vegetables.
However, this chickpea soup is so flavorful and filling that you can enjoy it without any side dish too.
Storing and freezing tips
Store the leftover soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Leftover Greek chickpea soup tastes even better.
It also freezes well. You can freeze it in batch-size freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.
Recipe tips and tricks
- Soak the chickpeas for at least 7 hours. If you don't soak them enough, the chickpeas won't get cooked properly.
- Don't miss to rinse the soaked chickpeas and discard the water in which they were soaked.
- Allow the chickpeas to reach room temperature before making a paste.
- To make the soup slightly spicy, you may add chili flakes to it.
- This soup is eaten sour but if you don't like very sour food reduce the amount of lemon juice to suit your taste.
- You may also add lemon zest for extra refreshing lemony flavor.
- Traditionally a lot of olive oil is used in this soup recipe. I have used it in moderation. You can use even lesser if you want.
- Use good quality olive oil as it's a key ingredient in this recipe.
Frequently asked questions
The authentic taste of revitho soupa comes only when you cook soaked chickpeas on a slow flame for a long period. The same result cannot be achieved with canned chickpeas.
However, if you don't have the option to cook chickpeas from scratch and you don't mind slightly compromising on the taste then you can use canned chickpeas too. Just make sure to rinse the canned chickpeas before using them in the soup.
More easy chickpea recipes
Looking for more ways to cook chickpeas? Don't miss checking out the following easy and tasty chickpea recipes from all over the world:
- Chickpea pulao (India)
- Beetroot Hummus (Middle East)
- Vegan Arabic Sandwich (Middle East)
- Koshari (National dish of Egypt)
- Balela (Middle East)
- Vegan Chickpea Curry (India)
- Chickpea spinach curry (India)
- Chickpea salad (India)
- Vegan Chickpea stuffed butternut squash (USA)
- Sweet potato chickpea soup (Morocco)
- Chickpea cutlets (India)
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Recipe
Greek chickpea soup - Revithia soupa
Equipment
- 1 Large cooking pot
- Grinding jar or food processor
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups dried chickpeas
- ½ yellow onion finely chopped
- 4-5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 1 medium carrot chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- Juice of half a large lemon around 4 tablespoons, adjust to taste
- 8 cups vegetable stock or as required to get the desired consistency.
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1+2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Wash dried chickpeas and soak them in water for at least 7 hours or overnight. After 7 hours, discard the water and rinse the chickpeas again. Keep them aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a cooking pot. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and minced garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add bay leaf and dried oregano. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add chickpeas and saute for a minute.
- Add vegetable stock and mix. Cover the pot and cook on a medium flame for at least 1.5 hours or until the chickpeas are cooked. Keep checking in between and if required, add more vegetable stock.
- Once the chickpeas are nicely cooked, take a ladle full of chickpeas and transfer them to a grinding jar or food processor. Allow them to reach room temperature. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and ground black pepper. Make a paste.
- Add the chickpea paste to the soup and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped dill and enjoy!
Video
Notes
-
- Soak the chickpeas for at least 7 hours. If you don't soak them enough, the chickpeas won't get cooked properly.
- Don't miss to rinse the soaked chickpeas and discard the water in which they were soaked.
- Allow the chickpeas to reach room temperature before making a paste.
- To make the soup slightly spicy, you may add chili flakes to it.
- This soup is eaten sour but if you don't like very sour food reduce the amount of lemon juice to suit your taste.
- You may also add lemon zest for extra refreshing lemony flavor.
- Traditionally a lot of olive oil is used in this soup recipe. I have used it in moderation. You can use even lesser if you want.
- Use good quality olive oil as it's a key ingredient in this recipe.
- More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.
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