Lablabi is one of Tunisia’s most comforting and iconic street foods — a warming chickpea soup poured over torn bread and finished with olive oil, harissa, lemon, and bold savory toppings.

Simple ingredients transform into something deeply satisfying. The bread softens into the fragrant broth while chickpeas, cumin, garlic, and harissa create a rich, spicy base with incredible depth.

Served hot and often eaten for breakfast, lunch, or late-night meals, lablabi is rustic, filling, and packed with North African flavor.

What Is It?

Lablabi is a traditional Tunisian chickpea soup made by simmering chickpeas with garlic, cumin, and harissa before serving the broth over torn stale bread.

The softened bread thickens the soup naturally and creates a rich, comforting texture. Olive oil, lemon juice, olives, eggs, capers, and parsley are commonly added on top for extra richness and brightness.

The dish is simple but highly flavorful and deeply rooted in Tunisian home and street cooking.

A Little History

Lablabi has long been a staple of Tunisian cuisine, particularly among working communities where inexpensive pantry ingredients needed to become nourishing meals.

Using stale bread in soups is common across Mediterranean and North African cooking traditions, helping reduce waste while adding texture and substance.

Harissa and cumin give lablabi its signature Tunisian identity, while toppings vary by household and region. Street vendors throughout Tunisia still serve steaming bowls of lablabi early in the morning or late into the night.

Today, it remains one of Tunisia’s most recognizable comfort foods.