Tunisia | Breakfast

Lablabi

Tunisian lablabi, garlic-cumin chickpea broth ladled over torn bread with harissa, olive oil, lemon, capers, and optional egg or tuna.

Country
Tunisia
Region
North Africa
Time
560 min
Serves
4
Level
easy
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01 / Get ready

Everything you need

Tap each ingredient as you gather it. Illustrations are visual guides; follow the ingredient names and quantities.

Servings 4

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

Jump to methodMy cookbook

02 / Let’s cook

One step at a time

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Tunisia
4 steps 500 min prep 60 min cook (check method) 560 min total easy
1
Cook the chickpeas
Drain the soaked chickpeas and place in a large pot. Cover with fresh water, add 1 tsp baking soda, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes until very tender.
Kitchen noteThe baking soda helps the chickpeas get extra soft and creamy.
Cook chickpeas 40:00
2
Season the broth
Stir in the crushed garlic, harissa, cumin, salt, and pepper into the chickpea broth. Simmer for another 5 minutes to let the flavours infuse.
Kitchen noteAdjust the harissa to your heat preference — Tunisians like it fiery.
Season broth 05:00
3
Prepare the bowls
Place a generous handful of torn bread pieces in each serving bowl.
Kitchen noteDay-old or stale bread works best as it absorbs the broth without disintegrating.
4
Assemble and serve
Ladle the hot chickpea broth and chickpeas over the bread. Drizzle generously with olive oil, squeeze lemon juice over the top, and scatter capers if using. Serve immediately.
Kitchen noteSome like to crack a raw egg into the hot broth — the heat gently cooks it.

Every household has small variations. Start here, then adjust seasoning, heat, and serving sides to your kitchen.

Cooking notes, photos & serving ideas
Recipe context

More about this dish

Serving ideas, regional context, and cooking cues for when you want more detail.

When to cook it

Best for Breakfast, cold winter mornings. Plan on a easy cook. Allow about 560 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Harissa, lemon, capers, tuna, soft egg, olives, or extra olive oil

Follow the collection

Lablabi appears in 2 AfroKitchen collections. Start with Vegetarian Africa if you want more dishes in the same mood. Vegetarian Africa

Regional lane

Tunisia national table. A structured Tunisia dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs
  • Rushing the rest or fermentation period.
  • Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
  • Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
How you know it is ready
  • The bread or batter should smell pleasantly fermented, toasted, or nutty rather than floury.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
  • Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
Recipe photos

See the dish before you cook

Take a closer look at the dish and its serving ideas.

Lablabi recipe from Tunisia
Lablabi finished dish
Chef board

Build the table around Lablabi

Harissa, lemon, capers, tuna, soft egg, olives, or extra olive oil

Best route from here

Tunisia national table

Collections to keep cooking
Breakfast and Tea Table Across Africa Showstoppers
Social plate

Why Lablabi gets people talking

Bread, chickpeas, cumin broth, harissa, egg, tuna, olive oil, and lemon make a customizable bowl with street-food personality.

#11 Showstopper
Hook

The build-your-own chickpea bowl.

Caption starter

Lablabi is comfort food with options.

Hosting move

Set toppings out separately and let people build heat, richness, and crunch their way.

Photo angle

Shoot a half-built bowl with egg, harissa, and torn bread still visible.

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Cook around Lablabi

Find a side dish or your next recipe from the same country or collection.

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