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Fresh Green Chickpea and Yogurt Soup

posted on: Apr 29, 2025

By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons

I always wondered through the years why green chickpeas have not, like peas, become a popular food in North America.  For me when eaten green they are the most succulent of the pulses.  Every year in my postage stamp size garden I plant a small part of it with chickpeas and if it does not rain too much during the summer, I enjoy immensely the few handfuls of green chickpeas that have grown.  Where I live today none of my neighbours have vegetable gardens and I am sure that when some of them see my backyard garden, they must say to themselves ‘he has moved to the city but he is still a farmer’.  But I don’t worry about what they think! Little do they know that one of the major reasons that I plant the garden is so I can relish my fresh-green chickpeas.

This soup can also be puréed before serving then decorated with the mint and served.

Serves 8

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups fresh (shelled) green chickpeas
5 cups vegetable broth
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
2 cups plain yogurt

2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Heat oil in a saucepan then fry onion over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas and vegetable broth then bring to boil.  Cover then simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.  Transfer to a serving bowl and allow to cool.

Stir in remaining ingredients, except mint, then sprinkle with the mint and serve cold.


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