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Bean by Bean

Tunisian Chickpea & Vegetable Soup with Harissa

chickpeas

olive oil

large red onion

carrots

stalks celery

cloves garlic

cumin seeds

harissa

Salt

lemon

slices French bread

Fresh parsley

Lemon

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Transfer to heavy pot and add 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat, turn down to a simmer, cover, and let cook until chickpeas are tender, about 1.5-2 hours.

Toward the end of the chickpea cooking period, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium head. Add onion and saute until limp but not brown, about 8 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook for another 5 minutes. Lower heat slightly, add garlic and cumin, and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir onion mixture into cooking chickpeas.

Remove chickpea pot form heat, cover, and let sit for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld OR refrigerate covered pot overnight.

To reheat soup, bring to a simmer over low heat, taste and adjust salt and pepper. Just before serving, squeeze the juice of the lemon through a small strainer to catch any seeds. Stir well, and serve very hot with a slice of toast and a sprinkle of parsley.

Serve with lemon quarters, olive oil, and additional harissa at the table.