Hummus bi’l-Kammun (Algerian Chickpea Stew)

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The Hummus bi’l-Kammun (Algerian Chickpea Stew with Cumin) was so. darn. easy. to make. The entire process of cooking the soup takes about 20 minutes of your time and very little effort to throw together. Topping the soup with shredded mint leaves provides a fresh aftertaste that complements the harissa sauce beautifully!

A Whole30 Experimentation

A few months ago, my mom and I completed a Whole30 together. For those of you that don’t know, Whole30 is pretty much a short-term elimination diet. For 30 days, you cut out all grains, dairy, legumes, added sugar, MSG and sulfites from your diet. At the end of the 30 days you add one of the food groups back in every few days to see how your body reacts. It sounds extreme, I know; and it definitely was. But after backpacking Europe, I had been having a lot of digestion problems. I knew that the Whole30 would be a great way to explore my own body and discover what was causing it so much discomfort.

So my mom and I endured together. I cooked us a new Whole30 meal every night, and we experimented with many dinners we would never normally have eaten. Throughout the entire course of the experiment, I really missed legumes. I knew why eating gluten or sugar or dairy might have an adverse effect on my diet, but I couldn’t wrap my head around why legumes would be something that could cause any issues.

A Sad Discovery

As I found out when I added legumes back into my diet, they were some of the things that were causing the most issues. Two of my favorite foods of ALL TIME– popcorn and peanut butter– both left me feeling bloated and uncomfortable. I was so sad.

Hurrah for Chickpeas!

LUCKILY, chickpeas don’t appear to have the same effect, which is why this Algerian Chickpea Stew is perfect! This stew is so quick and easy to put together, and it tastes fantastic! As cold weather gets closer, I can only imagine that I’ll be having this soup simmering on the stove often.

The step that takes the longest with this recipe is shelling the chickpeas. It’s an easy task, but taking the shelling off of three cans of chickpeas is, I admit, time consuming. The good thing is, though, that I sat down at my kitchen table and did this while I was watching The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on Netflix (side note, an AMAZING movie). I highly recommended this combination of activities for 20 minutes of de-stressing, if I do say so myself.

With each new country comes new delicious discoveries and new recipes I’m adding to my rotation of regular meals. Make sure to try this Algerian Chickpea Stew, because I have a feeling you might feel the same way.  

4 from 1 vote

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Hummus bi'l-Kammun

A delicious and easy stew made from chickpeas, water and spices. 

Course Appetizer, Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 15 oz cans chickpeas drained
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds freshly ground
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp harissa optional
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups water
• 3 tbsp fresh mint leaves chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Squeeze each chickpea lightly to remove the casing from each bean. Place 1/2 cup. Discard the skins

2. Put the shelled chickpeas in a blender and blend them. They will turn out crumbly and appear a little dry. 

3. Heat oil a covered saucepan. Sauté garlic and then add cumin, paprika, harissa (if desired), tomato paste, salt and pepper. Let cook until fragrant, for about 2-3 minutes. 

4. Add the four cups of water, cover, and bring to a boil. 

5. Add the pureed chickpeas from the blender into the water and let cook for about 15 minutes or until the soup is hot. Add whole chickpeas into the soup and sprinkle with fresh mint. 

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