Lablabi is Tunisia's most iconic street breakfast — a deep bowl lined with chunks of stale bread over which is poured a cumin-spiked chickpea broth enriched with harissa, vinegar and olive oil. A poached egg and a scatter of capers and olives complete it. It is eaten standing up from stalls in medinas across the country and represents the resourceful, bold spirit of Tunisian street food.
Serves 4
Heat olive oil in a pot. Cook garlic 1 minute. Add chickpeas, stock, harissa and cumin. Simmer 20 minutes.
Mash about 1/4 of the chickpeas with a fork to thicken the broth slightly. Add vinegar and season with salt.
Crack eggs into simmering broth and poach 4 minutes until whites are set.
Place torn stale bread in the bottom of each bowl.
Ladle chickpea broth and a poached egg over the bread. Top with capers, olives, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon wedge.
Really stale bread is better — it absorbs the broth without turning to mush.
Adjust harissa generously — lablabi should be boldly spiced.
Serve with a small saucer of harissa, olive oil and cumin for self-seasoning.
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Add tuna flakes on top for extra protein.
Use lamb stock for a richer, more complex broth.
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.
Broth keeps refrigerated for 3 days. Assemble fresh each time with new bread and eggs.
Lablabi is a morning meal across Tunisia, particularly in winter. The name comes from the Arabic for chickpea. In Tunis it is served from small bare-bones stalls called gargotes, where bowls are served to workers from dawn.
Yes — soak 300 g dried chickpeas overnight, then boil 1 hour until tender. This gives even better flavour than canned.
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Authenticity sits on a spectrum — what matters more is honoring the technique and balance of flavors. If the dish tastes harmonious and respects how cooks in its home region would build it, you're on solid ground.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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