Lablabi (Tunisian Chickpea Soup)

Ingredients

serves Serves 5 to 6, active time 20 minutes, total time 1 1/2 hours, plus time to soak chickpeas

• 2 cups (1 pound) dried chickpeas, soaked for at least 4 hours or up to overnight
• 8 cups water
• 3–4 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups minced onion (1 large)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon minced or crushed garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Black pepper

Procedures

1. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas, then transfer them to a soup pot, large saucepan, or Dutch oven, along with the water and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until the chickpeas are completely tender, an hour or longer. (You want to err on the soft side.)
   
2. Meanwhile, place a medium skillet over medium heat for about a minute, then add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and cumin, and cook, stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the onion becomes soft. Add the minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt, reduce the heat to low, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Cover and cook over the lowest possible heat for 10 minutes longer, then remove from the heat.
   
3. When the chickpeas are very tender, add the onion-garlic mixture, scraping in as much as you can of whatever adhered to the pan. Collect the remaining parts (this is flavor!) by adding the lemon juice to the skillet and stirring it around, scraping the sides and bottom (deglazing), then pouring all of this onto the chickpeas as well. Taste to adjust the salt (you will likely want to add up to another 1/2 teaspoon) and grind in a generous amount of black pepper to taste. At this point, if you choose, you can puree some of the chickpeas with an immersion blender.
   
4. Cover and let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes or so before serving.
   
5. Optional Enhancements:
   A few strands of saffron added to the cooking water in step 1
   A spoonful of harissa
   Touches of torn fresh flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, or mint
   Crushed red pepper
   A poached or fried egg added to each serving
   A drizzle of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil (or a citrus-spiked olive oil)
   Cooked diced carrot mixed in
   A spoonful of thick yogurt on top
   A sprinkling of capers on top
   A spoonful or two of cooked brown basmati rice or couscous stirred in
   Chopped, pitted olives on top—or a bowl of assorted olives on the side
   Crisp, cold radishes on the side—whole or sliced
   Chopped or slivered Marcona almonds
   Sliced ripe tomatoes on the side

Za'atar-Rubbed Cod With Spicy Chickpea Puree and Grilled Zucchini

Special equipment

Food processor or blender, grill

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 30 minutes, total time 45 minutes

• For the Chickpea Purée:
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, liquid reserved
• 1 habanero chili, stemmed and seeded
• 4 medium cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice from about 4 lemons, divided
• 5 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt
•  
• For the Zucchini:
• 4 medium zucchini, ends removed and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
•  
• For the Fish:
• 4 skinless cod fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each.
• 2 tablespoons za’atar seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper.
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Procedures

1. Place chickpeas, habanero, garlic, tahini and 1/4 cup lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Pulse to combine to a chunky puree. With the motor running, add 2 tablespoons olive oil in a slow, steady stream and process until smooth. If mixture is too thick, add some of the reserved canning liquid to achieve a thinner-but-sturdy, sauce-like consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.
   
2. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover gill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.
   
3. Place zucchini in a large bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
   
4. Place zucchini over hot side of grill, perpendicular to grill grates. Cook until well charred, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook until second side is charred, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Set aside on a large plate.
   
5. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle cod fillets with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and rub with za’atar seasoning. When oil is shimmering, add fish fillets and cook without moving until well browned on first side, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip with a flexible metal spatula and cook on second side until just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.
   
6. Place a generous dollop of chickpea puree on each of four individual plates. Set fish on top, alongside grilled zucchini. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Roasted Zucchini-Chickpea Dip with Za'atar

 

Special equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

serves Serves 6 to 8, active time 10 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• 3 to 4 medium summer squash, cut into rough dice (about 1 quart)
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or use 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in 3 cups water and simmered until tender)
• 3 medium cloves garlic, smashed, peels removed
• 2 tablespoons tahini paste
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice from 2 lemons
• About 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon za'atar

Procedures

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash and onion with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Turn onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until vegetables are tender and browned, about 20 minutes.
   
2. Add chickpeas, garlic, tahini, and roasted vegetables to the bowl of a food processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pulse until well-chopped. With machine running, stream in olive oil, lemon juice, and water, and blend until smooth. Add more water if mixture is too thick. Taste, adding more oil, lemon, or seasoning as needed.
   
3. Scrape dip into a serving bowl, drizzle with 1 additional tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with za'atar. Serve with toasted flatbread, pita or crudités.