My golden spiced spinach chickpea soup is made with fragrant spices and hearty potatoes in a light, creamy coconut broth. It only takes about 30 minutes to make, but you'd never guess it from the taste. This comforting soup will warm you up from the inside out!
Soups are my go-to warm-up meals on the coldest days of the year. But some soups warm you up better than others. You know what I'm talking about, right? You've got your hot soups, and then you've got those super-hearty, spice-loaded soups that just feel like a cozy blanket around your shoulders. This spinach chickpea soup is the ultimate in that category.
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Chickpeas and spinach are such a satisfying, nurturing combination. That's why I love them in dishes like my spinach chickpea curry and marry me chickpeas. They work great in a soup as well, and both of these star ingredients require very little cook time, allowing this recipe to come together in about 30 minutes. It's also loaded with flavor and substantial enough to stand on its own as a meal, although I love pairing it up with some bread or a salad.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Olive oil. Or use any neutral high-heat oil that you like to cook with.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Spices. You'll need ground cumin, turmeric, and optionally a bit of cayenne pepper.
- Vegetable broth.
- Light coconut milk. Use coconut milk from a can (not a carton). If you want your soup to be extra rich and creamy, feel free to use full-fat coconut milk.
- Yellow potatoes. Red potatoes also work. Russets do as well, although the texture will be different and they don't hold their shape as well when boiled.
- Spinach.
- Lemon juice. Make sure to use freshly squeezed juice, and not bottled.
- Fresh cilantro. You can skip this if you're not a fan of cilantro. Fresh parsley or scallions make nice substitutes.
- Salt and pepper.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cook the onion. Heat your olive oil in a large pot, then add diced onion. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then, until it starts to soften.
Step 2: Add garlic and spices. Stir them in with the onion, and cook the mixture for just about a minute, until it becomes very fragrant. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
Step 3: Simmer. Stir in the broth, coconut milk, chickpeas, and diced potatoes. Heat the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until the potatoes are very tender.
Step 4: Add spinach. Stir the spinach into the soup and let it continue to simmer briefly — it should only take a couple of minutes for the spinach to wilt.
Step 5: Finish the soup. Turn off the heat, then stir in lemon juice and fresh cilantro. Give the soup a taste, and season it with some salt and pepper if needed.
Step 6: Serve. Your spinach chickpea soup is ready to enjoy! Ladle it into bowls and serve. It's great with some crusty bread or even vegan naan.
Variations
- Switch up the greens. Chard, kale, and collards would all work great in this soup. Be sure to chop the leaves up into bite-sized pieces and give them some extra simmer time, since they all take longer than spinach to cook.
- Switch up the beans. Got a couple cans of lentils, butter beans, or cannellini beans on hand? Use them instead of chickpeas.
- Add noodles. Make this soup extra comforting by stirring in some cooked pasta or noodles. You may need some extra broth for this option!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! The recipe includes no gluten-containing ingredients.
It can be as spicy or mild as you want! All heat in this recipe comes from the cayenne pepper, so add it according to your heat preference. You can also skip it for a heat-free version.
Only if that's your preference. I generally don't for this recipe.
Store your leftover spinach chickpea soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
More Vegan Soups
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📖 Recipe
Golden Spiced Spinach Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, or to taste)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14 ounce/414 ml) can light coconut milk
- 2 (15 ounce/425 gram) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 medium yellow potatoes (about 10 ounces total)
- 6 ounces fresh spinach (about 6 cups)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- â…“ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper, if using. Cook the mixture for about a minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, coconut milk, chickpeas, and potatoes. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the soup cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and let the soup simmer for about 2 minutes longer, until the spinach has fully wilted.
- Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, then season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
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Just made and enjoyed this lovely soup, garbanzo, potato ,and spinach gave it a delicious earthiness, the onion, garlic, light coconut milk gave it a richness , rounded out with the cumin, turmeric , and cilantro tickled my tongue. I know it will be even better tomorrow. Give it a go, yum!