Opaaaa!! Revithosoupa (Greek Chickpea soup)
Revithosoupa, (pr. reh-vee-THO-sou-pah), is a very simple, vegan Greek, healthy and nutritious chickpea soup made with a few simple ingredients.
As there is not much to say about revithosoupa, which is a simple dish, before I tell you how I make it, let's talk a little about the word "Opaaa!!".
I am taking this opportunity because the song which has been voted for the Eurovision song contest is called "OPA". It's an ethnic song and although it's not bad I would have preferred the other ethnic song by Manos Pyrovolakis.
I don't really care about this contest but the reason I am mentioning this is to explain what the word "OPA" means. I am sure only a few Greeks know the real meaning of the word and it's not just an exclamation when we dance.
The word "Opa" derives from the ancient word η οψ, της οπός (pronounced ops genitive case op-OS), and this does not only mean eyes, vision, appearance etc. Some examples of words known to English speaking people are Cyclops (having one round eye), Europe (having beautiful big eyes), metope (in arch. between two holes (eyes) ) and the same word is used in Greek for the forehead, but also means "voice" as in speaking but also in singing. For those of you speaking Greek, you may find a lot of interesting information here.
All Greek words have a meaning because they are descriptive. One of the nine muses was Kalliopi, Καλλι-όπη (έχουσα καλήν όπα), and her name means "having a good voice" and of course Kalliopi was the patron of anything having to do with the voice and of course poetry.
Now, back to the recipe. Although it's spring and the weather is supposed to be warm in Greece, March still has some cold days, so I would like to share this simple but hearty Revithosoupa (chickpea soup), while the weather is still cold.
As I said, although this soup is very simple, with just a few ingredients and has nothing fancy to show in appearance, yet this is what makes Greek cuisine to be delicious getting most of its flavour from the Greek olive oil.
I know that some of you don't have the time to cook the chickpeas for two hours and although I don't use canned chickpeas, I think that the soup will still work great if you used canned chickpeas. However, if you have a pressure cooker, you can reduce the time considerably and have the soup ready in half an hour.
If you want a thicker and more creamy soup add a potato as well, which I have included in the recipe.
If you want a velvety soup, you can use an Immersion Hand Blender to do that.
I am sending this recipe to Lisa, of Lisa's Vegeterian Kitchen, for her event No Croutons Required, in which chickpeas are featured this month.
Revithosoupa (Greek Chickpea Soup)
Revithosoupa is a very simple, vegan Greek, healthy and nutritious chickpea soup made with a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 300 grams chickpeas
- 1 large potato, peeled and cut into small pieces
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Boil the potato in 6 - 7 cups of water until soft Set aside and when the time comes, remove the potato and mash with a fork Reserve the water to add to the soup
- Soak the chick peas in water from the previous night.
- Drain and peel them It is preferable to buy skinned chick peas.
- Boil in unsalted water, skim the liquid water and drain once Add fresh water and boil again Add salt, lower heat, cover with lid and cook until almost soft, about an hour Drain and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion until translucent.
- Add the chickpeas and mix for a couple of minutes Add the mashed potato as well as the potato water, salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for about 1 hour until the chickpeas have become very soft and creamy.
- When ready mix in the lemon juice.
- Serve with additional olive oil and lemon juice, as well as some freshly ground black pepper.
Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 264Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1294mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 6gSugar 5gProtein 7g
Chickpea Recipes
Chickpeas are one of my favourite legumes which I cook quite often in many variations. Here are a few examples.
Greek Chickpea Salad with Quinoa and Tahini Sauce
This healthy Greek chickpea salad is a filling dish on its own, packed with protein from the chickpeas, quinoa and tuna and full of vitamins from the herbs, vegetables and salad dressing.
Penne with Chickpeas and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Whole Wheat Penne with Chickpeas, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and roasted garlic is a delicious and healthy vegan pasta dish. A delicious summer meal.
Hoummous Soup (Chickpeas soup)
Hoummous soup is made with the same ingredients as for hoummous dip. More hot broth is added until it reaches the consistency of a soup and is served with croutons. The cooked chickpeas can be freezed, so when making this soup, I usually boil more in order to make the dip whenever I like.
Revithokeftedes (Chickpea Patties)
Revithokeftedes (pr. reh-vee-thaw-kae-FTEH-thes) aka chickpea Patties is a delicious, healthy, Greek, vegan meal.
Revithia giahni sti gastra (stewed chickpeas)
Revithia giahni sti gastra is a vegan dish with stewed chickpeas, traditionally cooked in a clay pot and baked in a wood burning oven. However, not all of us have wood burning ovens or clay pots but we can still cook it in a Dutch oven or any casserole dish in our home oven.  If you don't have any of the above, use a baking tin which cover with an aluminium tent.
How to make Aquafaba and Vegan Meringues
Vegan Meringues made with aquafaba are light, airy and crispy, which melt in your mouth, much better than egg meringues.
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!!
Just the kind of soup I'd enjoy!
Cheers and have a wonderful week,
Rosa
OPA...sounds a very interesting song ........Germany voted for a newbie singer...(I seriously don't like her singing at all, maybe I am just old to accept her way of interpreting the songs. )
I love chickpeas! The soup looks very good!
hello,ivy,i wish you a good week!your soup is so gooood,i like chickpea and the soup ,also!
Well it looks terrific soup Ivy! I am a fan so I will really chick that soup. A wonderful week!
Revithospoupa is one of the great Greek soups. I make it once a month and we love it!
Yours look lovely.
Magda
here in belgium Opa means grandfather.
Love this soup looks so filling and delicous.
I haven't had this in ages Ivy! I really like the addition of potato in it. Must try it!
This soup looks delicious Ivy. Everyone I know (including me, til now) thinks Opa is just something you say when you dance a Greek dance.
I love chickpeas in all its forms, this soup looks very hearty and inviting !
This chickpea soup sounds amazing, creamy and delicious!
I've never thought to use chickpeas in soup! Love it - and I can eat soup all year long - even in the hot summer!
Thanks for the background on OPA...many saying it's Turkish when it's clearly of Greek origins. I don't watch/care for Eurovision but I wish Alkaios the best.
Your soup transports me to my trip to Sifnos.
How interesting...you serve the soup with lemon juice, must be even refreshing 🙂 Something I should try.
Ivy, my mother loved chickpeas. So every time I eat them I have sweet memories of her. Thank you for a new recipe to add to my collection. Love it in a soup.
je fais souvent la soupe de pois chiches mais pas de cette manière
ta recette me plait beaucoup, j'en prends note
bonne soirée