Chickpeas are the base for this bold, warming stew

Lablabi, a Tunisian chickpea soup, is so warming and satisfying, I could eat it every day. During this hectic, bitter cold season, I often do.

It's classic comfort food with plenty of personality, thanks to the addition of harissa. This North African chile paste packs a punch right out of the jar. The soup also gets a boost from tangy lemon.

Lablabi is immensely adaptable and doesn't require hours to extract flavor. Though it is best made with dried chickpeas soaked overnight and then simmered with aromatics to become a foundational stock, you can skip that step and just open two cans of chickpeas to dump into the pot. Their starchy liquid enriches the soup in no time.

Use almost any vegetables you like — simmer up kale stems, carrot nubs, sweet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, turnips and celery into goodness; toss in cilantro and parsley stems, too. Harissa is the essential seasoning, but be warned: Products vary greatly in levels of heat and saltiness. Go slow and taste; you can always add another spoonful but you can't get it back into the jar. Add your own special touch as you finish making this soup — a few chopped black olives add meatiness, sun-dried tomatoes amp up the flavor. Like most soups and stews, this will taste even better a day or two after it's made.

There are countless ways to serve lablabi: A dollop of plain whole-milk Greek yogurt gives it a little creaminess and tang. You might top each serving with a soft-boiled egg and a mound of herbs for brunch. You also can enrich the soup with a final swirl of good olive oil, or just enjoy it plain with hunks of rustic bread for dunking.

Serves 4.

Here's a warming, wintry soup that doesn't require hours of simmering. If you have the time, soak the chickpeas overnight, then cook them with aromatics; but canned chickpeas work nicely, too. From Beth Dooley.

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 carrot, diced

• Coarse salt

• 6 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 tbsp. ground cumin

• 2 (14-oz.) cans chickpeas with their liquid, or 3 c. cooked chickpeas with stock (see recipe footnote)

• 1 (14-oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes

• 1 c. bean or vegetable stock

• 2 tbsp. lemon juice, to taste

• 1/2 c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil plus 1 tbsp. oil

Directions

Lightly coat a Dutch oven with the oil and set over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and a pinch of salt. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook to release the aromas, about 1 minute. Stir in the harissa.

Add the chickpeas with their liquid, the canned tomatoes with their juices, and the stock. Season with salt, increase the heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and thickened and the chickpeas are warmed through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, sun-dried tomatoes and honey, taste and adjust the seasonings before serving.

To cook dry chickpeas: Put 1 1/2 cups chickpeas into a large pot or bowl and add enough water to cover by 4 inches. Soak overnight. Drain the chickpeas. Transfer to a heavy pot and add enough water to cover the chickpeas by 4 inches. Add 1/2 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 small carrot, 1 small celery, 2 bay leaves, 5 sprigs parsley, 5 whole peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook until the chickpeas are tender, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer the chickpeas to a colander, reserving the "stock" and discarding the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, bay leaves, parsley and peppercorns.