This nutritious and comforting Greek Chickpea soup with lemon, Revithia soupa, is packed with flavor and perfect for the cold winter’s days.
Like other legume soups such as fasolada or Greek lentil soup, comforting revithia is naturally vegan and a great source of protein and fiber. Additionally, this Greek wintery dish is one of the easiest chickpea dishes to cook, so if you’re looking for a tasty, nutritious chickpea recipe, bookmark this one.
Why you will love this Revitihia soupa recipe?
- Traditional Greek Lemony Revithia soupa is naturally vegan and pairs well with some crusty bread
- This soup is the perfect warming comfort food from the Mediterranean diet for longevity, packed with protein, fiber, and other essential nutrients.
- Revithia is so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
- Chickpeas are an affordable ingredient, making this recipe a budget-friendly option for feeding your family or guests.
Ingredients
dry or canned Chickpeas?
Skip the canned chickpeas and try cooking dried ones instead. They taste better, have a nicer texture, and can be stored in your fridge or freezer. Plus, they triple in size when cooked – so 1 cup of dried chickpeas makes about 3 cups of cooked ones.
To cook chickpeas on the stovetop, you must soak them first. When you have enough time, soak the chickpeas in water overnight so that the next morning, they are ready for cooking. I know it requires a bit of planning, but it is definitely worth it.
If you need chickpeas quickly, rinse them, boil them in water, then turn off the heat. Let them sit in the hot water for an hour before draining and cooking.
Once you are done with saoking, drain the chickpeas and give them a rinse with fresh water and cook them. Cover the chickpeas in a large pot with a few inches of fresh water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
When the water boils, you can also remove the skin. But it is optional and I didn’t remove it for this revithia soup recipe.
We will need soft beans, but not very creamy so they don’t break apart.
If you’re using canned chickpeas, they’ll need less boiling time, around 30 minutes (refer to the recipe below), but cooking dried beans slowly gives them a creamy texture.
Our recipe
- Chickpeas
- Onion chopped ((white, brown, yellow)
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Celery ribs chopped
- Carrot chopped
- Olive Oil
- Bay leaves
- Lemon juice and lemon zest
- Vegetable stock
- Parsley or Oregano
- Salt and pepper
TO SERVE
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Warm bread, to serve
How to make this Greek Chickpea soup recipe (Revithia)?
First step: Saute the vegetable
In a large pot, add the olive oil and heat it over medium heat. Then add the onion and minced garlic until translucent and fragrant (3 minutes).
Add parsley and oregano to release their flavors.
Add celery, carrot and lemon zest and cook until softened and the onion is sweet (7 – 10 minutes). Don’t rush this step; it is important for the flavor base of the soup.
Second step: Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and salt and cook the soup.
Add the chickpeas and bay leaves. Pour in vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until they reach your desired tenderness, 1½- 2 hours.
In pressure cooker the cooking time will be around 50 minutes
If you are using tinned chickpeas, the time will be 20-30 minutes.
Third step: Remove bay leaves and thicken the soup
while some recipes suggest flour, I prefer to thicken it with chickpeas from the soup. Take 2-3 tablespoons of chickpeas from the soup and place them in a blender (or use an immersion blender). Blend them until smooth and soft and place them back to the soup.
Alternatively, you can add orzo to absorb the excess water.
Fourth step: Stir in lemon Juice and serve
stir in lemon juice; add salt to taste and serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley or oregano.
Note: Add salt towards the end of cooking to avoid making the beans tough.
What do you serve with this chickpea stew?
Serve with crusty bread or pita to soak up the flavorful broth.
A classic Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, olives, and feta cheese perfectly complements the stew.
A dollop of Greek yogurt on top of the soup adds a creamy texture and tangy flavor.
You can also serve it with Kalamata olives on the side for an authentic Greek experience.
it is also delicious with pan-fried halloumi cheese.
Other Longevity Soup recipes
Revithia (Authentic Greek Chickpea Soup with Lemon)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpeas dry or 9 oz or soaked and rinsed
- 1 Onion chopped – white, brown, yellow
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 celery ribs chopped, about 1 1/4 cups
- 1 carrot chopped, about 1 1/4 cups
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 bay leaves dried
- Lemon juice from 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1.5 litres / 1.5 quarts/ 6 cups vegetable stock
- Parsley or Oregano
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the olive oil and heat it over medium heat. Then add the onion and minced garlic until translucent and fragrant (3 minutes).
- Add parsley and oregano to release their flavors.
- Add celery, carrot and lemon zest and cook until softened and the onion is sweet (7 – 10 minutes). Don’t rush this step; it is important for the flavor base of the soup.
- Add the chickpeas and bay leaves. Pour in vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until they reach your desired tenderness, 1½- 2 hours.
- In pressure cooker the cooking time will be around 50 minutes
- If you are using tinned chickpeas, the time will be 20-30 minutes.
- while some recipes suggest flour, I prefer to thicken it with chickpeas from the soup. Take 2-3 tablespoons of chickpeas from the soup and place them in a blender (or use an immersion blender). Blend them until smooth and soft and place them back to the soup.
- Alternatively, you can add orzo to absorb the excess water.
- stir in lemon juice, add salt to taste and serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley or oregano.
- Note: Add salt towards the end of cooking to avoid making the beans tough.
Easy and delicious that even kids love