ORIGINAL GREEK STYLE CHICKPEA SOUP RECIPE
This original Greek recipe for chickpea soup might not sound or look exciting but it is very simple to prepare and it’s very nutritious. In Greece, it’s usual to eat this dish at least once per week and I personally look forward to cooking it each time!
Today, we will show you how to prepare this Greek dish with lemon and extra virgin olive oil, but let’s first check some important nutritional facts about chickpea soup.
Benefits of Using Original Greek Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil is an essential part of the Greek cuisine. It acts as a great antioxidant due to its rich content in vitamin E and polyphenols which have anti-aging properties, prevent cell oxidation and various cancers and diseases, especially those related to heart and blood pressure.
Chickpeas offer great benefits to our health since they are rich in nutrients such as plant based protein, fiber, phosphorus, folate, zinc, vitamins B6 and B1 and iron. The iron in chickpeas is not absorbed by the body easily, so you should always create an acidic environment to help with its absorption. This is why we use lemon juice. Some of the benefits from eating chickpeas are to our bones and teeth, as well as helping our metabolism. They are a rich source of carbohydrates too.
Natural sea salt should be consumed instead of table salt, because it’s usually unprocessed or minimally processed. It contains all of its former minerals compared to table salt. Natural sea salt helps regulate fluid retention and blood pressure in our systems.
Greek oregano is rich in other beneficial nutrients to our health such as vitamins A and K , magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and calcium. That’s why Greeks add oregano to almost every meal! It contains thymol and carvacrol, which act as powerful antioxidants and offer anti-inflammatory properties.
Original Greek Chickpea Soup Recipe
Ingredients
500 gr. thick chickpeas
2 chopped onions
2 chopped garlic cloves
Juice from 1 large lemon
½ cup Kardamas extra virgin olive oil
Kardamas Greek oregano
Kardamas natural sea salt (to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)
Directions
First, you’ll need to soak your chickpeas in cold water for around 24 hours. This is necessary so that they are cooked properly, otherwise you might boil them for hours and they’ll still be hard.
Once you are done with soaking your chickpeas, rinse them well underwater and boil them for 10-15 minutes, removing any foam. In another pot, pour half of your extra virgin olive oil and saute the chopped onions for 1-2minutes, then add the chopped garlic along with the chickpeas, until your onions have a golden color.
Add enough hot water to cover the chickpeas and boil in medium heat, with your pot covered, for about 1 hour. Check the pot from time to time to make sure you are not running off liquids. In that case, you may add some extra hot water.
After about half an hour of cooking, add Greek oregano, natural sea salt and pepper, according to taste preference.
Towards the end of cooking, uncover the pot, turn up the heat and add the rest of the extra virgin olive oil along with the fresh lemon juice, and stir with a spoon to thicken the soup. Lastly, serve it with feta cheese and lemon!
So that’s the scoop on this yummy authentic Greek style chickpea soup. Consider adding this to your diet to enjoy its abundant nutritional benefits!
Check out our shop for original Greek ingredients, such as extra virgin olive oil, oregano and more!