This chickpea soup is incredibly easy to make with just a handful of ingredients! Comforting, loaded with flavor, and hearty enough for a meal, this crave-worthy soup can be on the table in just over 30 minutes!
This chickpea soup is my new go-to lazy soup recipe. It's one of the easiest homemade soups I've ever made, and also one of the most delicious.
Since coming up with the recipe I've made it a bunch of times, and that doesn't happen often when you develop new recipes day-in day-out for a living. And just about every time I make it, my husband declares it to be the best soup ever.
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What You'll Need
- Olive oil. Just about any high-heat oil can be substituted, but olive oil will give your soup the best flavor.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Spices. We're using cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. You could substitute a tablespoon of Ras El Hanout (Moroccan spice blend), but I stuck with these three because most cooks keep them on hand.
- Vegetable broth. I used Better Than Bouillon's roasted vegetable flavor.
- Chickpeas. Make sure to use canned or precooked.
- Tomato paste.
- Harissa paste. This is a spicy chili paste that you can find in the international foods section of your supermarket. Feel free to leave it out for a milder soup, or substitute another hot sauce that you have on hand, such as sriracha, or even just a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Lemon juice.
- Salt & pepper.
- Fresh parsley or cilantro. These are optional, but they make great toppings!
How to Make Chickpea Soup
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd prefer to skip right to the recipe.
- Heat up some oil in a large pot, then add diced onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, until it begins to soften up and become translucent. Add the garlic and spices. Sauté them with the onions for about a minute, until the mixture becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, chickpeas, and tomato paste.
- Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes, just long enough to soften up the chickpeas a bit.
- Remove the pot from heat and blend about half of the soup using an immersion blender, or by transferring it to a blender or food processor. Always be super careful when blending hot liquids.
Now you can season your soup with some lemon juice, harissa paste, salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a sprinkle of parsley or fresh cilantro.
Chickpea Soup Tips & FAQ
- Is this soup gluten-free? It is!
- Shelf-life & storage: Leftover soup will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
- Can I make this soup with dried chickpeas? Sure! You'll need to soak and cook them first though. Try this method. You'll need about 6 cups of cooked chickpeas to make this soup.
- Is this soup spicy? The harissa paste gives it a slight kick. Leave it out for a milder version, or use a little extra for more heat.
- How can I reduce the sodium content of this soup? Try using low sodium broth and chickpeas.
- Add some veggies if you'd like to switch things up! I recommend adding them after blending, then letting them simmer in the soup for a few extra minutes, until they're cooked through. Cauliflower, spinach, green beans, and peas would all be great choices.
More Vegan Bean Soups
- Rosemary White Bean Soup
- Mexican Pinto Bean Soup
- Classic Lentil Soup
- Spicy Black Bean Soup
- Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup
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📖 Recipe
Moroccan-Inspired Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 4 (14 ounce or 400 gram) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon harissa paste (or to taste)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, for serving
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. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring it occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. Sauté everything with the onion for about 1 minute, until very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, chickpeas, and tomato paste. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the chickpeas soften up a bit. You can add a bit of water if the liquid reduces too much.
- Remove the pot from heat.
- Blend about half of the soup, either using an immersion blender, or by carefully transferring it to a food processor or blender, then returning it to the pot.
- Season the soup with lemon juice, harissa paste, salt, and pepper to taste. You can also place the pot back on the burner to reheat the soup if it has cooled down too much.
- Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley, if desired, and serve.
Notes
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I made this last night and it was phenomenal! I'm really glad I found this recipe--I've been getting bored of tomato-based lentil and bean soups and this was a breath of fresh air. No doubt this will become part of my regular rotation. I added about 2 tablespoons of harissa and a few dashes of white vinegar, otherwise made the recipe as written.
Hi.I am on your mailing list and following you on the media for many years...you have scrumptious recipe , but here I must say that i never recommend "CANNED"" chickpeas because they are not healthy as the ones cooked at home fresh using Dry chickpeas..also canned chickpeas have special taste and flavor ...Thank you very much for all your recipes..have good day..
I just did this recipe today, I can say it was absolutely delicious! I ended up having not only seconds, but thirds!
Will be making this soup sometime this week! Lazy and delicious are my two favorite words these days.
Ooooooohhhhhh, this soup sounds delicious!!!!! Need to try it asap... Thank you Alissa, for another inspiring recipe!!!