Revithia (garbanzo bean soup) is a hearty and flavorsome dish that’s easy to prepare and makes a perfect meal for wintery nights. My dad discovered this recipe on one of our visits to the island of Sifnos many years ago. Before that, he was not a fan of Garbanzo beans, but just one bite changed his ways. Two bowls later and he was asking the owner for the recipe. Just the revithia (garbanzo beans), onion and little else.
On Sifnos they use dry garbanzo beans and bake everything in a ceramic baking dish overnight. You can do that too but it’s just as satisfying coming from the can and slow cooked on stovetop, which is what I like to do. Revithia may require few ingredients, but still allows for a lot of room to play with your favorite flavors. I’ve added shallots and bay leaf to my own recipe, and I’ve seen others include carrots and celery to theirs.
- 4 (15-ounce) cans of garbanzo beans*
- 1 large white or yellow onion, quartered
- 3-4 shallots, halved
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 lemons, juiced
- ¾ cup of olive oil. Or more!
- 4 small cloves of garlic
- Pepper, to taste
- In a medium sized pot, pour full contents of garbanzo beans plus the liquid into the pot.
- Add onions, shallots, bay leafs, garlic, and half of the olive oil. Add pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat all the way to low and slow simmer for one hour or until beans are soft.
- minutes prior to serving, add remaining olive oil, plus lemon juice.
- Serve with lemons and enjoy!
I want this everyday.
It’s so easy to make and have every day!
It looks delicious Eleni!! 🙂
Thanks so much! It is definitely delicious 😋
This is the most fabulous, authentic recipe. I married into a Greek family and they are proud of my greek cooking. I told them it’s because of recipes like this. Thank you so much.
Oh my goodness that just made my day! I love revithia, it’s one of our family favorites. Thank you for giving this one a try and so glad you loved It as well.