Revithia (Greek Chickpea Soup)
Nov 06, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links.
Revithia is a Greek chickpea soup made with canned chickpeas and plenty of lemon, simmered with vegetables in one pot for about an hour. I blend two cups of it to make it creamy without a drop of cream, and it makes a filling lunch or light dinner that would be perfect with a piece of crusty bread.
Canned Chickpeas and a Blender for a Creamy Soup Without Cream
A friend told me about revithia after eating it in Greece, and it sounded like exactly the kind of soup I would make all winter: humble ingredients, one pot, and a lot of flavor for very little effort. Traditional versions start with dried chickpeas that soak overnight and simmer for hours. I make mine with canned chickpeas so I can have it on the table quicker for a weeknight dinner.
We love chickpeas in our house, and I always have a few cans in the pantry. They’re a good source of protein and fiber, they’re inexpensive, and they make a meal feel filling. They show up in my cooking all year, from my easy Moroccan chickpea stew in the winter to balela, a Middle Eastern chickpea salad, in the summer.
The texture is what makes this soup special. I don’t add cream, flour, or anything else to thicken it. Instead, I scoop out two cups of the cooked soup, blend it until smooth, and stir it back into the pot. The blended chickpeas and vegetables give the broth body, while the rest of the soup stays chunky.
How I Developed This Recipe
I tested this soup a couple of times before I settled on the method.
- Blending part of the soup makes all the difference. My first batch skipped blending entirely, and the soup was too watery. Blending about two cups gives it a creamy texture while keeping whole chickpeas and vegetables in every bite.
- Lemon goes in at the very end. Adding the lemon juice once you turn off the heat keeps its flavor fresh and bright. It wakes up the whole pot, and without it the soup tastes flat, so don’t skip please.
- Take your time sautéing the vegetables. The onion, carrot, and celery need to cook long enough to soften and release their flavor before the liquid goes in.
What Goes Into Revithia
Chickpeas: I use two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed. If you prefer to cook your own, use about 3 cups of chickpeas you have already cooked from scratch at home, and add them to the soup the same way.
Broth: I make this with my homemade chicken stock made from scratch, but vegetable broth works just as well. Water is fine too, and the vegetables still give it plenty of flavor.
Vegetables: Onion, garlic, carrot, and celery are the base of the soup. Cut them small so they become tender in the simmer and blend smoothly.
Spices: You need oregano and bay leaves. Oregano is a classic in Greek cooking, and it gives this soup its delicious Greek flavor.
Lemon: Two lemons, juiced, stirred in at the end. If you think two lemons would be too much, start with one, taste and decide if you need the second one.
Olive oil: Some goes into the pot for sautéing, and more gets drizzled over each bowl. Don’t skip the drizzle on top. It finishes the soup.
How To Make Rivithia
Cook the onion in olive oil until translucent, then add the garlic, carrot, and celery and cook until they soften and smell fragrant.
Stir in the oregano, salt, chickpeas, and bay leaves, then pour in the broth.
Cover and cook at a low simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the bay leaves, then blend 2 cups of the soup until smooth.
Stir the blended soup back in, simmer for 10 more minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Ladle the soup into bowls and finish each one with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Seasoning It Right
The teaspoon of coarse salt in the recipe is for water or unsalted broth. If your broth is salted, start with less and taste at the end, after the lemon goes in, since lemon changes how salty the soup tastes. I sometimes finish my bowl with a little black pepper.
Serving and Storing Revithia
I serve revithia with crusty bread for dipping, and my easy no-knead bread is the one I bake most often for it. For a bigger meal, add maroulosalata (Greek lettuce salad) on the side.
The soup keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days, and it doesn’t thicken as it sits, so there’s no need to add water. I reheat it in a saucepan over medium heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice to freshen it up. Revithia also freezes well, so I often make a full batch and freeze half for a busy week.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!
More Soup Recipes
Soups and Stews
Moroccan Harira Soup
Mediterranean recipes
Easy Mediterranean Green Lentil Soup
Mediterranean recipes
Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe
Mediterranean recipes
Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup
Revithia (Greek Chickpea Soup)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt, see notes
- 2 cans chickpeas, 15-oz each, drained and rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
- 2 lemons, juice of
- Black pepper, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the carrot and celery and cook for 10 minutes, until they soften and start to release their flavor.
- Stir in the oregano, salt, chickpeas, and bay leaves.
- Pour in the broth or water and bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender, or to a separate container if using an immersion blender, and blend until smooth.
- Stir the blended soup back into the pot and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt, and add black pepper if you like.
- Serve drizzled with olive oil, with crusty bread on the side
Notes
- Salt: The amount of salt is for water or unsalted broth. If your broth is salted, add salt to taste at the end instead.
- Chickpeas from scratch: Replace the canned chickpeas with 3 cups of chickpeas you have already cooked at home. Add them at the same step.
- Blending: Remove the bay leaves before blending. Don’t skip the blending, because the soup will be watery without it.
- Storage: Keep the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it in a saucepan over medium heat and add a squeeze of lemon juice for freshness. The soup also freezes well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
