This cozy and flavorful Smoky Mediterranean Chickpea Soup with tomato, sweet potatoes and earthy spices is so comforting and nourishing! It's a vegan chickpea soup and the hearty legumes and vegetables are so satisfying and filling for evenings you want a plant-based meal. 😊
As a dietitian, one of my absolute favorite kinds of recipes to create in the fall and winter months is soup! And chickpeas are one of my favorite ingredients. I've used them to make homemade hummus, kale salads, nourish bowls, chickpea salads, and even in desserts like this chickpea banana bread dough!
So of course I had to create a soup with chickpeas! This Mediterranean Chickpea Soup is perfect for a chilly fall or winter day when you want something healthy and satisfying. It’s a good soup for a plant-based dinner and you'll have plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day! Plus, it freezes well if you want to make it ahead of time. It’s a great recipe to bring to friends as a comfort dish, too.
Pair this chickpea soup with Homemade Sourdough Croutons and a Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese.
More Healthy Soup Recipes
- Cauliflower White Bean Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup with Gouda
- Green Soup with Broccoli & Spinach
- Chicken Potato Soup
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Red Cabbage Soup with Potatoes
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This Mediterranean Chickpea Soup is made using simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the recipe card for the measurements.
- Chickpeas - also known as garbanzo beans, this is the main ingredient. I use canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed to get off some of the extra sodium. You could use dried chickpeas too, but be sure to cook them in advance of making the soup.
- Sweet Potato - add a level of heartiness and complex carbs with fiber to keep you full longer. It also provides vitamin A, an important nutrient for eye health.
- Crushed Tomatoes - for more added flavor and nutrients! Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, potassium, and a nutrient called lycopene which is a powerful antioxidant.
- Carrot and Celery - I use fresh carrots from the farmers market when I can. If not, I choose a whole carrot at the local grocery store. The best way to get the right flavor is to use a whole carrot. Baby carrots lack the sweetness of whole “adult” carrots.
- Yellow Onion and minced Garlic: aromatic vegetables to add flavor to the dish.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - to cook the vegetables in.
- Vegetable Broth - for vegan chickpea soup, vegetable broth is perfect. If you aren't vegan, you can replace it with chicken broth.
- Lemon Juice - freshly squeezed lemon juice added at the end enhances the flavor. Plus, it adds vitamin C to help boost your immune system during soup season.
- Spices - a blend of fresh thyme, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, kosher salt & black pepper add tons of flavor! For more flavor, add fresh herbs like fresh parsley on top.
- Spinach - this is optional but if you want to add even more nutrition, leafy greens are an amazing source of antioxidants and vitamins. Feel free to leave the spinach out if greens aren’t your thing.
How to Make Mediterranean Chickpea Soup
Below are the instructions for how to make this soup with some photos that I hope are helpful. Check the recipe card for the full recipe.
Step 1 - Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrot, celery and sweet potato. Heat, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes or until the potatoes start to soften.
Step 2 - Add the chickpeas, fresh thyme, and spices to the pot and stir for 1-2 minutes. Then add the vegetable broth and crushed tomato and bring the pot to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes and then lower the heat.
Step 3 - Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes. The cooking time will vary. It’s done cooking when the chickpeas, potatoes, carrots, and celery are tender.
Step 4: Turn off heat. Remove 1-2 cups of the soup and blend it. Add it back to the pot. Alternatively, you can blend it to your desired thickness with an immersion blender. While soup is still hot, squeeze half a lemon in and add a handful of spinach (optional).
Dietitian Tip
Hearty chickpeas are a good source of fiber and protein. They also contain manganese, folate, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium. This Chickpea Soup has other ingredients that are rich in fiber and nutrients including sweet potatoes, crushed tomatoes, celery, and carrots.
Variations
The best part about this chickpea soup is you can easily customize it to your taste! Below are some ideas.
- Spicy - if you want to make this hearty chickpea soup spicy, add some red pepper flakes or chili powder.
- Italian Chickpea Soup - add grated parmesan cheese and red bell peppers for more of an Italian flare.
- Greek - add feta cheese and fresh parlsey or dill on top to make it more like a Greek Chickpea Soup.
- Creamy Chickpea Soup - add a half cup or cup of coconut milk to make it creamy!
Meal Prep and Storage for Chickpea Soup
- Meal Prep - f you want to prep ahead, simply chop your sweet potato, onion, carrots, and celery in advance so they’ll be ready to go when you make the soup!
- Storage - Let soup cool at room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat leftover soup in the microwave or on medium-high heat on the stove.
- Freezer - store in the freezer in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, thaw the vegan chickpea soup in the refrigerator overnight and then heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to drain and rinse the canned chickpeas before adding them to the soup!
- Chop the vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Don't skip the squeeze of lemon added at the end for extra flavor!
FAQs
While healthy means something different to everyone, this chickpea soup is a nutrient-rich option. From a nutritional perspective, this soup is full of complex carbohydrates including fiber, heart-healthy fats and plant protein. It also has a lot of vitamins and nutrients.
Yes! Chickpeas are a complete protein. This means they have all nine essential amino acids. Needless to say, they are an excellent protein source for a plant-based meal like vegan chickpea soup.
Garbanzo beans and chickpeas are interchangeable names for the same thing so look for either name on the label!
Eat it by itself or serve it with a side of brown rice or a Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese. I love to serve this healthy chickpea soup with a slice of crusty sourdough bread, too!
Related
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Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chickpea Soup:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Smoky Mediterranean Chickpea Soup with Tomato, Simple
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or large pot
- 1 sharp kitchen knife
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 small sweet potato, diced
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice (juice of ½ a lemon)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional
- handful spinach
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrot, celery and sweet potato. Heat, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes or until the potatoes start to soften.
- Add the chickpeas, fresh thyme, and spices to the pot and stir for 1-2 minutes. Then add the vegetable broth and crushed tomato and bring the pot to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes and then lower the heat.
- Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes. The cooking time will vary but it’s done cooking when the chickpeas, carrots, and celery are tender.
- Turn off heat. Remove 1-2 cups of the soup and blend it. Add it back to the pot. Alternatively, you can blend it to your desired thickness with an immersion blender. While soup is still hot, squeeze half a lemon in and add a handful of spinach (optional).
Notes
- Be sure to drain and rinse the canned chickpeas before adding them to the soup!
- Chop the vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Don't skip the squeeze of lemon added at the end for extra flavor!
- Meal Prep - f you want to prep ahead, simply chop your sweet potato, onion, carrots, and celery in advance so they’ll be ready to go when you make the soup!
- Storage - Let soup cool at room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat leftover soup in the microwave or on medium-high heat on the stove.
- Freezer - store in the freezer in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, thaw the vegan chickpea soup in the refrigerator overnight and then heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
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