Leblabi ( Tunisian Chickpea Soup) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 teaspoon ground caraway (you can use the whole seeds... but this is a light soup and they will sink to the bottom of the bowl)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 (14 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (garbanzos)
2 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth or 4 cups of your own vegetable broth
2 cups water
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

Preparation

In a large saucepan or soup pot, saute the garlic and jalapenos in the olive oil until garlic is lightly golden.
Add the caraway and oregano and stir in for a couple of minutes.
Add the chickpeas, broth and water; simmer together over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, season to taste with salt and pepper (I like lots of black pepper); simmer for 5 more minutes and serve topped with croutons.