Provencal Chickpea Soup Satisfying for Everyone
Last spring, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we were all craving warm, comfort food. This Provencal Chickpea Soup seemed the perfect answer to the strange environment we were suddenly facing. Also known as Fourmade, it is at its very core a hearty soup made by impoverished people to provide an inexpensive and healthy filling meal. This soup is surprisingly rich and luxurious tasting. Once you make the basic recipe, try embellishing it with leeks, chickpeas, grated Parmesan, cooked rice or even croutons fried in olive oil. My inspiration for this delicious creation came from two sources: Soupo de Cece (from Chef J.B. Reboul) and Marcella Hazan’s version (see note below). Suitable for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets, the recipe ingredients are few, and you can play with additional toppings.
Provencal Chickpea Soup (Fourmade)
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup (128g) Chickpea Flour
- 2 quarts (1.9L) Cool Water 8 cups
- 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or Espelette (or nothing)
- 2 tsp Flaked Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Olive Oil
Optional ingredients:
- 2 Leeks washed well and diced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 15 oz (425g) Canned Chickpeas
Instructions
- Put chickpea flour, water, herbes, cumin, Aleppo, salt, pepper, and oil into a blender and blend until smooth, about 15 seconds.
- Pour the contents into a Dutch oven and heat slowly over low to medium heat until hot, about 30 minutes, stirring often. Adjust seasoning to your taste.
Optional Additions:
- For the leeks, slowly cook washed leeks in olive oil over a low flame at a grandmotherly pace until they almost melt, about 30 minutes. Add to soup.
- For the chickpeas, open can and add both the liquid and the chickpeas.
Notes
Other Soup Recipes from Provence:
Marseille Fish Soup – Soupe de Poisson
Butternut Squash Soup with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts
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3 Comments
“Pour the contents into a Dutch oven and heat slowly over low to medium heat until hot, about 30 minutes, stirring often. Adjust seasoning to your taste.”
30 minutes?! That seems like a really long time to cook this part.
Hello, Thank you for reading/following Perfectly Provence. The soup is probably ready in under 30 minutes, but I know Chef François like to enjoy the process. If you are adding leeks, it is better to let the soup cook a bit longer.
Good Morning Libby! Thanks for checking out my recipe. My initial reaction would be 30 minutes is not that long – I suppose I cook slowly. Part of the reason to go slower – heating the soup up over low to medium heat is that chickpea flour can lump or settle at the bottom of your pan and scorch if heated too quickly. I suppose if you were stirring quite a bit and not sipping a glass of rose, that you could do this quicker. However you do it please share your results and have a fantastic day! Francois