Best Chickpea Soup Recipes

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur. Add spices and saute a minute or so. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and 10 grinds fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is shy, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered.
• Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove soup from heat. Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes.
• Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Serve soup, drizzled lightly with extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.

MOROCCAN CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then fry the onion and celery gently for 10 mins until softened, stirring frequently. Tip in the cumin and fry for another min.
• Turn up the heat, then add the stock, tomatoes and chickpeas, plus a good grind of black pepper. Simmer for 8 mins. Throw in broad beans and lemon juice, cook for a further 2 mins. Season to taste, then top with a sprinkling of lemon zest and chopped herbs. Serve with flatbread.

GARLIC, SPINACH, AND CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and stir in garlic and onion. Cook until tender. Season with cumin and coriander.
• Mix vegetable stock and potatoes into the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer about 10 minutes. Stir in the garbanzo beans, and continue to cook until potatoes are tender.
• In a small bowl, blend the heavy cream, tahini, and corn meal. Mix into the soup.
• Stir spinach into the soup. Season with cayenne pepper and salt. Continue to cook until spinach is heated through.

CHICKEN AND CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook, skin side down, until skin is browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Flip chicken and cook until browned, 6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons garlic and spices; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in carrots and return chicken to pot. Stir in broth.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium simmer, partially cover, and cook until chicken is falling off the bone, 50 minutes.
• Remove chicken from soup. When cool enough to handle, tear chicken into large pieces, discarding skin and bones. Return meat to pot. Add chickpeas and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest, and cilantro; sprinkle over soup before serving.

CHICKPEA AND CHORIZO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chorizo and onion and cook until the chorizo crisps slightly and the onion softens, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, paprika, cumin and cayenne until combined. Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes with their liquid and chicken broth until combined. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with the salt and black pepper. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

SIMPLE CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until onion is translucent and has lost its bite. Add garlic and cook until slightly colored.
• Rinse chickpeas in cold water, then add to pot. Add water to pot until chickpeas are covered to the depth of 1 inch.
• Cook over medium heat (soup should bubble, but not come to a full boil) for an hour, or until the chickpeas are soft and silky. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with grated Parmesan or a drizzle of good olive oil if desired.

LABLABI (TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SOUP)

Steps:

• Prepare the crispy chickpeas: Transfer chickpeas to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a clean dish towel or paper towels. Cover with another towel (or paper towels) on top, rubbing gently to dry. Remove top towel and let air-dry for at least 30 minutes and preferably 1 hour.
• As chickpeas dry, start preparing the soup: In a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot, combine soaked chickpeas, 5 cups water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon salt over high heat. Bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until chickpeas are tender, about 1 to 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. While chickpeas are cooking, cut bread into thick slices, then tear slices into bite-size pieces. Place bread in one layer on large rimmed baking sheet and toast until crisp and light brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool on pan and set aside.
• Finish the crunchy chickpeas: Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees. Remove the towels from baking sheet with the chickpeas, and toss the chickpeas with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and za'atar until well coated. Roast until golden and crispy, about 13 to 18 minutes, tossing halfway through. When chickpeas are still hot, sprinkle lightly more salt. Taste and add more salt or za'atar, or both, if you'd like.
• When the chickpeas for the soup are tender, discard bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 2 cups of chickpeas, 1/2 cup of chickpea cooking liquid and 1/4 cup olive oil to a blender or food processor, and purée until smooth. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to blitz half the chickpeas into a rough purée. Add the olive oil before puréeing. The broth won't be as silky as it would be puréed in a regular blender, but it will taste just as good.)
• In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cumin and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add a splash of the chickpea cooking liquid to the pan, and bring to a simmer to deglaze, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat.
• Add chickpea purée and onion mixture to soup, along with harissa and lemon juice, and stir well. Add a little water if soup seems too thick, and more salt, if needed.
• To serve, divide toasted bread pieces among soup bowls, then ladle in soup. Garnish with lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, more cumin and some of the crispy chickpeas - you'll have leftovers. Serve hot, with more harissa on the side.

MOROCCAN LENTIL AND CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• In large heavy saucepan or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onion and celery and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally.
• Add cinnamon, turmeric, salt, pepper, ginger, hot pepper sauce and saffron. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas and broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
• Stir in noodles and simmer, covered, about 7 minutes longer or until noddles are just tender. In bowl, whisk flour, and 1 cup water until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into soup and simmer, stirring often, for 2-4 minutes or until soup is thickened and no raw flour taste remains.
• Stir in half of the parsley and cilantro, and all of the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding up to 1/2 tsp more salt if needed. Garnish with remaining parsley and cilantro.

APRIL'S SPICY CHICKPEA SOUP WITH KALE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized pot until warm. Add cumin seeds and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook and stir until onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, chickpeas, and kale.
• Bring soup to a simmer and cook until kale is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; stir in parsley. Remove from heat; top with Parmesan cheese.

LABLABI (TUNISIAN CHICKPEA SOUP)

Steps:

• Combine stock, chickpeas, harissa, cumin, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce temperature, and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Divide bread, chopped parsley, cilantro, and capers between 4 soup bowls. Scoop an egg from the shell into each bowl, pour soup on top, and drizzle with olive oil.

MOROCCAN LAMB, LENTIL, AND CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Mix ground lamb, cinnamon, cumin, salt, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, and curry powder together in a bowl. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight.
• Melt butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat; stir in onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened and turned translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add spiced lamb mixture. Cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add consomme, diced tomatoes, beef broth, chicken broth, and honey. Stir in carrots, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, lentils, apricots, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
• Bring soup just to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

RED LENTIL, CHICKPEA & CHILLI SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry 2 tsp cumin seeds and a large pinch of chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas.
• Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 chopped red onion, and cook for 5 mins.
• Stir in 140g red split lentils, 850ml vegetable stock or water and a 400g can tomatoes, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have softened.
• Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until it is a rough purée, pour back into the pan and add a 200g can drained and rinsed chickpeas.
• Heat gently, season well and stir in a small bunch of chopped coriander, reserving a few leaves to serve. Finish with 4 tbsp 0% Greek yogurt and extra coriander leaves.

CHICKPEA VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PARMESAN, ROSEMARY AND LEMON

Steps:

• Insert the clove into the onion. Put the onion in a large pot with the chickpeas, rosemary sprig, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, salt and cheese rind. Add 5 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour, or until chickpeas are tender.
• Add the tomatoes, carrots and celery, cover loosely, and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes longer. While soup simmers, mix the chopped rosemary, grated Parmesan, lemon zest and pepper in a small bowl.
• Season the soup to taste and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan mixture.

SPICED CHICKPEA AND TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Using a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon, crush garlic, chiles, coriander, salt, and caraway to form a paste.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic mixture, and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and stock. Simmer, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• Working in batches, puree soup in a blender. Rewarm if necessary. Divide among bowls, and top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of parsley.

PUREE OF CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the chickpeas in 1 quart water for six hours or overnight. Drain.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, until the mixture is fragrant. Add the chickpeas and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer one hour. Add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon) and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour. The beans should be very tender.
• Puree the soup in a blender (in small batches, covering the top with a dish towel to avoid hot splashes) or with an immersion blender until smooth. Put through a strainer for a very smooth texture, pushing it through with the bottom of a ladle or a spatula. Return to the pot, and heat through, stirring the bottom and sides of the pot so that the puree doesn't stick. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve, garnishing each bowl with a few drops of olive oil or lemon juice if desired and a sprinkle of chopped fresh mint.

CHICKPEA AND TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook garlic in oil 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Stir in garbanzo beans, water, bouillon cube, rosemary, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

CHICKPEA AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil, 3 turns of the pan, in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and lightly brown them, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and onions, and partially cover the pan to wilt the onions, 5 to 6 minutes more. Add the chickpeas, stock and 3 cups water, and bring to a low boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente. Add the spinach, separating it with your fingers as you stir it in. Adjust the salt and pepper and serve the soup in shallow bowls topped with grated cheese.
• Get Rachael's shopping list for this episode's recipes here.

CURRIED KALE & CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion for 5 mins. Add the ginger and garlic, fry for 1 min more, then stir in the sweet potato, spices and chickpeas. Cook for another 5 mins, adding a little water if the spices stick to the pan.
• Pour in the coconut milk and 400ml of the stock, then bring to a simmer and cook for 8 mins. Season, then transfer a quarter of the soup to a blender and whizz until smooth. Pour in the reserved stock to loosen, if needed, then add back to the pan with the remaining soup. Stir in the kale and cook for 5 mins. Add the lime juice, then ladle into bowls and scatter over the chilli, if you like.

CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over low heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden, 1 minute. Add pepper flakes, parsley, chickpeas, salt, pepper to taste and 6 cups of water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove half the chickpeas and mash. Return the mashed chickpeas to the saucepan and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with bread.

CHICKPEA AND LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse the soaked chickpeas, cover with water, and cook with the potato until tender. Remove the outer skin of the leeks, slice lengthways from the root up, wash carefully and slice finely.
• Warm a thick-bottomed pan, and add the tablespoon of oil and the knob of butter. Add the leeks and garlic to the pan, and sweat gently with a good pinch of salt until tender and sweet. Add the drained chickpeas and potato and cook for 1 minute. Add about 2/3 of the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Puree half of the soup in a food processor, and leave the other half chunky. This gives a lovely smooth comforting feel but also keeps a bit of texture. Now, add enough of the remaining stock to achieve the consistency you like. Check for seasoning, and add Parmesan, to taste, to round off the flavors.
• This is classy enough for a starter, but I like it best for lunch in a big bowl with a good drizzle of my best peppery extra-virgin olive oil, a grinding of black pepper and an extra sprinkling of Parmesan.