Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (2024)

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Simple, healthy, and delicious Greek chickpea soup flavored minimally with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and dried oregano!

Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (1)

This easy and flavorsome Chickpea lemon soup is what Greek cooking is all about. A dish with few basic ingredients that's very nutritious, and cooked very simply.

In Greece, we call this soup Revithia Soupa (revithia= chickpeas and soupa=soup). Another name we use for it is Revithada.

Table Of Contents
  • Ingredients
  • How To Make Greek Chickpea Soup
  • Using Canned Chickpeas
  • Got Leftovers? Make Some Hummus!
  • Serve With
  • Recipe

Ingredients

To make traditional Greek chickpea soup you need only 6 ingredients.

  1. Dry Chickpeas. We're cooking chickpeas from scratch so they need to be dry. For instructions on how to make this soup using canned chickpeas see the text below.
  2. Lemon.
  3. Olive oil. It needs to be extra virgin olive oil otherwise it won't thicken the soup. See my post about olive oil and learn how to distinguish extra virgin from plain olive oil.
  4. Dried Oregano. Use a quality Mediterranean Oregano.
  5. Garlic.
  6. Onion.

LIKE CHICKPEAS? TRY THESE:

How To Make Greek Chickpea Soup

In Greece, we always use dried chickpeas. You can't even find canned chickpeas in Greek grocery stores. All legume soups are cooked from scratch, by soaking them in water overnight and then slow-cook on the stovetop, or pressure cook.

-See here why dried chickpeas are healthier & more nutritious than canned ones

So to make this Greek chickpea soup recipe, first soak the chickpeas in cold water overnight. The next day, drain the chickpeas. Add plenty of fresh water to a cooking pot and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Drain the chickpeas once more discarding all dirt and pesticides along with the water they boiled in (this also aids digestion).

Now saute onion and garlic in some hot olive oil, add the drained chickpeas and some hot water, or stock if you prefer. Next, season with salt (I like to use coarse sea salt) and pepper. Simmer over low heat covered for 2-3 hours on the stovetop. The time depends on the variety of chickpeas/garbanzo beans you use. Some cook more quickly than others.

Once the chickpeas are cooked it's time to thicken the soup using extra virgin olive oil!

Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (2)

How To Thicken The Soup

To thicken the soup, add extra virgin olive oil and raise the heat to medium. Uncover the pot and simmer stirring often until the liquid reduces and the soup thickens. If it's not extra virgin olive oil it won't have the same thickening capabilities so please use extra virgin, cold-pressed.

In any case, though you are using plain olive oil, you can blend a ladle or two of the soup in a food processor or blender and stir into the soup to give it a thicker texture. You can even use an immersion blender to do this but be careful not to blend it too much!

Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (3)

Using Canned Chickpeas

To make this soup using canned chickpeas follow the instructions below.

  1. Drain 2 cans of chickpeas in a strainer.
  2. Saute onion and garlic in a cooking pot with 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
  3. Add 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock and 8 more tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
  4. Simmer for 5 minutes over medium-high heat uncovered.
  5. Add the drained chickpeas.
  6. Add 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons dried oregano.
  7. Simmer for 10-15 minutes more until thickened.

Got Leftovers? Make Some Hummus!

And because this lemony Greek Chickpea Soup is made with the same ingredients you use to make Hummus(except the oregano) you can easily blend your leftovers,along with some tahini, a bit of extra lemon, and a clove of raw garlic, and easily turn it into a delicious hummus. For every 250 grams of chickpeas, add 60 ml of tahini. Or follow this easy recipe for making hummus.

...Or Eat Them As A Cold Salad

Whenever I make this lemon chickpea soup, I always cook a few extra portions. Because it's great as a cold salad as well. So I keep the leftovers in the fridge for the next day or two. To me, they taste even better this way. It's like the flavors get even stronger while they sit.

You Can Even Turn Your Leftovers Into These Delicious & Perfectly Crusty Chickpea Fritters aka Greek-Style Falafel

Serve With

Greek lemon chickpea soup you can serve with some olives on the side or some feta cheese. These two are what Greeks prefer to accompany their Revithia (chickpeas) with.

Other favorite Greek sides are salt-cured fish such as Salted sardines, Marinated Octopus In Vinegar, or Green Peppers In Vinegar.

Recipe

Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (5)

Greek Chickpea Soup With Lemon & Oregano (Revithosoupa)

6-ingredient, simple, and delicious Greek Chickpea Soup with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, garlic, and oregano.

4.16 from 124 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

See Also
BRACIOLE NEAPOLITAN-STYLE recipe & history - all you need to know!Cranberry Jam Recipe | Homemade Holiday Jam - Cook with Kushi

Keyword: Dinner, gut-healing foods, superfood

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 4

Calories: 731kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 grams (3 cups) dried chickpeas soaked in plenty of water overnight
  • 120 grams (medium-sized) onion minced
  • 2 small garlic cloves minced
  • 180 grams (14 tablespoons) olive oil extra virgin
  • 1250 ml (5 cups) hot water or stock (vegetable or chicken)
  • 3 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Prepare The Chickpeas:

  • Bring chickpeas to a boil with plenty of water.

  • Cook for 2 minutes and then drain chickpeas in a strainer.

To Make On The Stovetop:

  • Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a cooking pot over high heat.

  • Saute the onion and garlic until golden.

  • Add the chickpeas along with 5 cups of hot water or stock. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer covered for 2-3 hours on the stovetop over low heat or until the chickpeas are cooked.

  • Add the remaining olive oil and simmer for about 15-20 minutes uncovered on the stovetop over medium heat until the soup thickens, stirring often.

  • Add the lemon juice and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes more. Take off the heat allow to sit for 5 minutes and serve!

To Make Using An Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker:

  • Add 5 tablespoons of olive oil to your instant pot and press the saute function for 5 minutes. Saute the onion and garlic until golden.

  • Add the chickpeas along with 5 cups of hot water or stock. Season with salt and pepper. Pressure cook on high for 20 minutes if using then do an instant release.

  • Add the remaining olive oil and either carefully transfer the soup to a cooking pot to thicken on the stovetop over medium heat uncovered, or use the saute function on your instant pot for 15 minutes. Towards the last 2 minutes of cooking add the lemon juice and oregano. Allow the soup to sit for 5 minutes and then serve!

    NOTE: The soup won't thicken the same in the instant pot so you may want to blend a ladle or two of the soup in a blender or small food processor.

Nutrition

Calories: 731kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 37g | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 517mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 7g

Tried this recipe?I would love to see! Mention @real_greek_recipes or tag #real_greek_recipes!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (10)Donna says

    About to make this soup for the second time! Mostly so I can freeze batches of it to make hummus whenever I want it. I am over 60 and this leftover soup made the best hummus I have EVER tasted in my life. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (11)[emailprotected] says

      You're welcome Donna 🙂

  2. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (12)Lindsy says

    Can you do this in a slow cooker? I was thinking of making this before i go to work so i can have dinner made when i come back. Super lazy, I know ? Have you tried it this way? If not do you think its worth a shot?

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (13)[emailprotected] says

      Hi, Lindsy never tried it in a slow cooker. Don't know if it can soften dry chickpeas. I would only try it if for 1) I pressure cooked the chickpeas with some water and then add them to the slow-cooker with the remaining ingredients or 2) (worst-case scenario for me) used canned ones that are already soft P.S Doesn't sound like lazy to me 🙂

  3. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (14)Leah says

    Do you have a favorite olive oil you recommend?

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (15)[emailprotected] says

      Hi Leah, I mostly use our homemade olive oil but I think this is one of the best you can find online GREEK EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL-KORONEIKI VARIETY. It's a Greek award winner which means it's real extra virgin olive oil as it's tried and tested.

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (16)Little Wolf says

      Extra Virgin Paesano. Made in Italy in October. Dark green.

  4. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (17)Vanessa says

    Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (18)[emailprotected] says

      Hi Vanessa, It keeps nicely for up to 4 days.

  5. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (19)Suzanne says

    This looks so good! Is this good on its own or as a side dish?

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (20)[emailprotected] says

      Never tried it as a side dish but yes it's pretty good on its own!

  6. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (21)Anonymous says

    I make this soup and at the end I blend it and it comes purée. We all love it!

    Reply

  7. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (22)Kate says

    It is a fact that extra virgin oil becomes a carcinogen when you put it in hot substances. The recipe is not so healthy.

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (23)[emailprotected] says

      Hi Kate, heating up any type of oil to a point where it actually smokes MAY produce carcinogenic toxins. Not when you saute, fry or simmer it. As far as I know, olive oil is still one of the healthiest fats to use when cooking.

  8. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (24)Donna says

    I made this soup recently and it was sooo good! And you are right- a couple of days in the fridge and I made the best hummus ever! I will be looking for more Greek recipes.

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (25)[emailprotected] says

      Happy to hear that Donna, hope you'll find more Greek recipes that you will like!

  9. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (26)Sarah says

    This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try! Do you happen to know the cooked weight of the chickpeas? I make a large batch each week (from dried) to use in various recipes, so I’ll be starting with them already cooked.

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (27)[emailprotected] says

      Can't tell the weight for sure as it depends on size and variety of the dry chickpeas (Plus haven't made this soup using cooked ones :D). Most of the times though dry chickpeas, just double in size (if they're of top quality may even triple in size, but that's not often the case). So roughly, cooked chickpeas are double in weight than dry chickpeas.

  10. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (28)Malika says

    Hi! Can I use vegetable broth as well?

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (29)[emailprotected] says

      Hi Malika, sure you can!

  11. Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (30)Elizabeth @ Bowl of Delicious says

    I can't WAIT to make this. I've never heard of thickening soup with olive oil! I have a question. Can you use the saute function on the pressure cooker to simmer it/thicken it, or do you have to do it on the stovetop?

    Reply

    • Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (31)[emailprotected] says

      Yes, we use it to thicken most soups in Greece. It needs real olive oil though. Add some in a small jar in your fridge and if it comes out thick and cloudy then it's ok and will thicken the soup also. If it comes out in a liquid form then it's probably mixed with some other oil and it's not proper olive oil. As for finishing off on the pressure cooker, as long as there isn't a lid on and you stir occasionally it should do it.

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Greek Chickpea Soup (Revithia Soupa) -Vegan, Gluten-free - Real Greek Recipes (2024)
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