Easy Vegan Chickpea Soup

This vegan chickpea soup is one of my favorite cold weather meals. It's so easy to make with just 9 simple ingredients. Best of all, this healthy one pot soup comes together in under an hour!

I love cooking with chickpeas, because they're so versatile. Be sure to also check out my hummus from scratch, zucchini boats topped with crispy chickpea croutons, and even vegan cookie dough macarons made with chickpeas!

A lot of chickpea soup recipes online require using a blender or immersion blender to pulverize the soup. But that's why this recipe is my favorite - you don't need any fancy kitchen gadgets! It's ready to eat straight from the pot (well, let it cool a little first).

A cozy, steaming bowl of this soup tastes great with some hearty bread like soda bread, chewy gluten free breadsticks, or German rye bread.

Chickpeas are mighty little legumes that pack a punch of nutrition. And since this humble soup calls for just a handful of simple ingredients, it's pretty inexpensive to make.

The recipe for this delicious soup was inspired by an old German cookbook I found in my parent's kitchen. This is my vegan take on a classic German stew.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Quick (under an hour)
• Tastes great as leftovers
• Inexpensive to make since it calls for just 9 simple ingredients
• Easy to adjust the recipe based on what vegetables you have in your kitchen
• One pot meal = less dishes to clean

Ingredients and Notes

• Olive oil - You can use any cooking oil like coconut oil, avocado oil or even vegan butter
• Carrots - Add a sweet crunch to this soup
• Leeks - Only the whites of the leeks are used, so you can save the greens to make homemade vegetable broth
• Zucchini - No need to peel the zucchini. They maintain their texture better with the peels left on
• Salt and ground black pepper - Seasons the soup and brings out the flavors of the rest of the ingredients
• Paprika - Adds a smoky flavor commonly found in German cuisine
• Canned chickpeas - Adds a great source of plant based protein and fiber
• Vegetable broth- I recommend using homemade or low-sodium vegetable broth

How to Make Vegan Chickpea Soup

Cook the veggies: In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the sliced vegetables, salt, pepper and paprika into the pot and sauté for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables have softened a bit and the leeks are translucent.

Add chickpeas & broth: Stir in the chickpeas and vegetable broth. Cover the pot with a lid them bring to a boil on high heat.

Simmer: Turn down the heat to low and let simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Tips

• Broth vs. Stock: You can use either vegetable broth (made from chopped veggies) or vegetable stock (made from whole veggies). I usually use Better Than Bullion mixed with warm water.
• Dried Chickpeas: If you use dried chickpeas instead of canned chickpeas, soak them in water for 8 to 10 hours, then cook them before adding them to the soup.

Substitutions and Variations

• Use different types of beans like white beans or black beans in place of the chickpeas.
• Stir in spinach or kale during the last 5 minutes of simmering to add more greens to this vegan chickpea soup.
• Top with hot sauce, red pepper flakes, homemade fresh parsley pesto, or fresh herbs like thyme or cilantro for more flavor.
• Serve with rice instead of bread to keep this meal gluten free.
• If you can't find leeks, use one medium diced yellow onion.
• You can add two tablespoons of tomato paste with the vegetables.
• To make garlic chickpeas soup, add a few minced cloves of garlic with the vegetables.

Recipe FAQ's

Should you peel chickpeas for soup?

Sometimes recipes require peeling chickpeas like hummus or edible cookie dough. But this soup doesn't require chickpeas to be peeled.

Do you drain canned chickpeas for soup?

I recommend to drain and rinse canned chickpeas before adding them to soup. This will significantly reduce the amount of sodium from the chickpeas.

Is there a difference between chickpeas and garbanzo beans?

They are the same! There are just two names these legumes go by.

Is chickpea soup good for you?

Chickpea soup is a very nutritious meal. It's a great source of vegan protein and fiber.

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Storing and Freezing

Fridge: Completely cool the soup then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Completely cool the soup then store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in fridge before reheating it.

Reheat: Microwave individual servings on 1 minute intervals, stirring after each minute.

More Healthy Vegan Soup Recipes

This soup is cozy, delicious and nutritious! Here are more of my favorite easy vegan soup recipes.

• Eggplant and Chickpea Curry
• Butternut Squash Carrot Lentil Soup
• Vegetarian Chili with Beans
• Butternut Squash and Leek Soup