Name: Halabessa (Tomato-Chickpea Soup)
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Syrian
Ingredients: Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 4 cups (1 kilogram) Cooked Chickpeas for Salads and Stews, plus 4¼ cups (1 liter) chickpea cooking liquid; ¼ to ½ green chile pepper, such as serrano; 4½ pounds (2 kilograms) ripe tomatoes (8 to 10 tomatoes), peeled and chopped; 2 sprigs of thyme, stems attached; 1 sprig of sage, stem attached; 1 sprig of rosemary, stem attached; 2 allspice berries; 1 medium onion, chopped; 2 stalks celery, chopped; 4 sprigs of parsley, stems attached; 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped; 1 carrot, coarsely chopped; ½ cup olive oil (120 milliliters); 1 bay leaf

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

On the Hummus Route

By Ariel Rosenthal , Orly Peli-Bronshtein and Dan Alexander

Published 2019

About

Tomatoes provide a fruity aroma while chickpeas offer richness and depth to this filling soup, which balances substance and freshness. Serve with a slice of good rustic bread or fresh pita, for dipping.

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil (120 milliliters)
1 medium onion, chopped

Method

Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and allspice, and fry until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and chile pepper, stir to coat. Add the chopped tomatoes with the remaining