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Lemony Chickpea Soup

Lemony Chickpea Soup

A refreshing and nutritious Lemony Chickpea Soup loaded with vegetables and spices.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 bowls
Calories 250 kcal

Equipment

  • large saucepan or Dutch oven
  • Fine mesh sieve
  • Food processor or blender

Ingredients
  

  • cup long-grain white rice (see Note 1)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 medium carrots scrubbed and finely chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 cans (15-ounce / 425g) chickpeas divided
  • ¾ cup fresh dill (no thick stems), chopped and divided
  • 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (½ teaspoon for a kick)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 ounces baby spinach or baby kale (can add more, see Note 2)
  • ½ cup creamy unsweetened plant-based milk such as full-fat oat milk or canned “lite” coconut milk
  • 1 large lemon zested + 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon white miso

Instructions
 

  • Add the rice to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse a few times until almost clear, then drain.
  • Drain and rinse one can of chickpeas and set aside for step 5. Drain and rinse the other can of chickpeas and transfer to a food processor or small-capacity blender for step 8.
  • In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the carrots and onion. Season with a few pinches of salt. Stir occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste plus spices (oregano, coriander, turmeric, and red pepper flakes). Stir almost constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the tomato paste is a darker red brick color. If it sticks or starts to burn, lower the heat and deglaze with a splash of broth.
  • Add the rinsed rice and toss to coat in the aromatics and oil for 1 minute. Add one can of drained chickpeas, plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Pour in the vegetable broth, followed by half of the chopped dill. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer and cover the pan. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until the rice is soft.
  • While the soup simmers, roughly chop the spinach and make the chickpea puree.
  • Chickpea Puree: To the chickpeas in the food processor or blender, add the milk, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, nutritional yeast, miso, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Blend until pureed and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed.
  • Stir the Chickpea Puree into the soup to combine, then add the chopped spinach. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the soup thickens and greens slightly wilt.
  • Off the heat, stir in the remaining dill and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste, adding salt/pepper or more lemon juice as desired. Transfer to bowls and drizzle each bowl with a bit of good-quality olive oil for richness.

Notes

If using brown rice, you’ll need to quick-boil it first. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and season with a pinch of salt. Stir in the brown rice and gently boil without stirring for 10 minutes. Drain the rice in a fine mesh sieve and set aside. For a nutrition boost, feel free to go up to 5 ounces of baby spinach (1 standard-sized bag).

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 10gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 500mgPotassium: 650mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2500IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 3mg
Keyword chickpea recipe, Comfort Food, Healthy Soup, Lemony Chickpea Soup, vegan soup, vegetable soup
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