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Vegetarian, Maghreb and Middle East

Lablabi with soft boiled egg

Lablabi is a Tunisian chickpea soup poured over stale bread, topped with a soft boiled egg, harissa, capers and tuna. It serves 4, takes 45 minutes, counts as an easy recipe, and costs about €1.30 per person. The trick is pouring the broth over the bread piping hot, right before serving, so it softens without turning mushy.

A big bowl of lablabi, this Tunisian chickpea soup poured over stale bread, with a soft boiled egg running into it.

Lablabi with soft boiled egg
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.30
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Lablabi is a bowl of chickpeas simmered with garlic and cumin, poured scalding hot over bread that soaks it up without turning to mush. The heat from the harissa, the tang of lemon and capers, and the runny yolk of the soft boiled egg mixing into the broth give every spoonful a slightly different balance. It's a soup you eat with a spoon, hearty and warming.

It's the kind of weeknight dinner that needs no complicated shopping, since everything comes from canned goods and bread you already have going stale. Mon Chou likes this recipe because it turns leftover bread into something genuinely filling, with no long simmering and no fuss.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Canned chickpeasoften in the pantry 2 can
  • Cuminoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Harissaoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Capersoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Canned tuna 1 can
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 6 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Lemon 2

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Bakery

  • Stale bread 4 slices

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Heat the chickpeas with their liquid, a liter of water, the crushed garlic, cumin and salt. 20 min

    Mash a few chickpeas to lightly thicken the broth.

  2. Boil the eggs, then peel them under cold running water. 6 min

    Exactly six minutes gives a still runny yolk, then plunge them into ice water.

  3. Break the stale bread into pieces in deep bowls.

    Dry bread soaks up the broth better, use day old bread or dry it out in the oven.

  4. Pour the hot broth over the bread, then add the harissa, lemon juice, capers and flaked tuna.

    The capers and lemon give lablabi its signature kick.

  5. Set the soft boiled egg in the center, drizzle with olive oil and serve right away.

    Cut the egg open at the last moment, so the yolk coats the bread.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a dense, slightly dry bread, like a day old baguette, it holds up in the broth better than soft fresh bread that falls apart.
  • Taste the broth before serving and adjust the salt, canned chickpeas are sometimes already salted.
  • Get everything ready ahead of time, boiled eggs, cut bread, squeezed lemon, so you can assemble the bowls in two minutes at serving time.

The variations

  • Swap the tuna for black olives and an extra drizzle of olive oil for a fish free version.
  • For a quicker version, skip the soft boiled egg and top each bowl with sliced hard boiled egg instead.
  • Stir a diced cooked carrot or potato into the broth for a heartier version.

What to serve it with

  • Sweet mint tea
  • Marinated olives to start
  • Extra lemon wedges at the table

Storage

Keep the chickpea broth separate, in a sealed container, for up to 3 days in the fridge, and it freezes well for up to 2 months. Only assemble the bread and eggs right before serving, since they don't hold up once combined.

Questions about this dish

Can you use dried chickpeas instead of canned?

Yes, soak 200g of dried chickpeas overnight, then simmer them for about 1.5 hours before continuing with the recipe. The broth will taste a bit richer, but it takes more time.

How do you get a perfect soft boiled egg for lablabi?

Drop the egg into boiling water for exactly 6 minutes, then transfer it straight into ice water to stop the cooking. The yolk stays runny and coats the bread when you cut into it over the bowl.

Can you make the lablabi broth ahead of time?

Yes, the chickpea broth can be made the day before and gently reheated before serving. Just assemble the bread, egg and tuna only right before you eat.

Is lablabi a good dish for kids?

The harissa makes this dish fairly spicy, which isn't always a hit with kids. You can serve the harissa on the side so everyone adds their own amount.

How long does it take to make a Tunisian lablabi with a soft boiled egg?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Tunisian lablabi with a soft boiled egg?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Tunisian lablabi with a soft boiled egg cost?

About €1.30 per serving, or €5.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs, fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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