Turkish Chickpea Soup (Nohut çorbası)
Overview
Nohut çorbası is a hearty Turkish chickpea soup. Soaked chickpeas are cooked until very soft with onion, carrot and tomato paste, then partly or fully blended into a thick, creamy soup flavoured with cumin. It is finished with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of oil or butter with red pepper flakes. Some cooks add a little rice or bulgur, others leave some whole chickpeas for bite. It is filling and nourishing, and it is a good plant-based alternative to meat-based soups in winter.
History
Chickpeas have been cultivated in Anatolia for thousands of years and are one of the most important legumes in Turkish cooking, used in stews, pilafs and snacks such as roasted leblebi. Chickpea soups are a natural part of this tradition and are common in home cooking across the country. It is also valued as a filling meatless soup, and many cooks make it in large batches during the cold months.
Main ingredients
Chickpeas, onion, carrot, tomato paste, cumin, lemon. The soup is built on vegetable stock and is usually served hot. Diet: vegan; usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~75 min
Ingredients
- 300 g dried chickpeas, soaked
- 1 onion, 1 carrot
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1.5 l water or stock
- lemon, red pepper flakes
Allergens: None of the 14 major allergens in the base recipe. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Simmer the chickpeas in water until very soft, about 1 hour.
- Fry onion and carrot with tomato paste and cumin and add to the pot.
- Blend most of the soup until creamy.
- Season and serve with lemon and pepper oil.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.