This Spinach and Chickpea Soup is so flavourful and delicious you will be surprised it didn't take hours to prepare! Spiced with cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, and loads of garlic, this soup has a rich depth of flavour that will keep you coming back for more!
It's pure comfort in a bowl. It feels like a warm hug! Good for the mind, body, and soul. It's packed full of nutrients so you can enjoy the decadent flavours knowing you are feeding your body what it needs. If you are looking for other chickpea recipes try my Greek Chickpea Salad, Easy Tempeh Curry with Spiced Chickpeas or this Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chickpeas.
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Ingredients
- olive oil
- onion, carrots, celery
- fresh garlic
- ground cumin
- smoked paprika
- turmeric
- dried chili flakes (optional if you don't like the heat)
- chickpeas
- vegetable or chicken broth (low sodium)
- baby spinach
- fresh lime juice
- fresh parsley and cilantro (optional)
- salt and pepper
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Only a few simple steps are needed to prepare this recipe. Before you know it your whole house will smell wonderful and you will start to salivate!
Step 1 - Prepare all of your ingredients. This is my biggest kitchen tip! Be ready before you start cooking anything. Chop, measure, drain, rinse...everything.
Step 2 - Sauté onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil over medium-low heat until soft. I Like to cover the vegetables to let them steam and become very soft. Add garlic and spices and continue cooking and stirring for two minutes.
Step 3 - Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and stir to coat them in all the spices. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and continue to simmer gently for 30 minutes. Check after a couple of minutes to make sure it isn't boiling too rapidly.
Step 4 - This is an optional step but I like to do this to add more body to the soup. Using a hand blender, partially puree the soup with only 2 or 3 bursts. The goal isn't to completely blend the soup but just add a touch of creaminess to it. If you don't have a hand blender you can accomplish the same thing by removing 2 cups of the soup (including some of the chickpeas and vegetables) and blending in a blender or food processor.
Step 5 - Add all the spinach and simmer for 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and add fresh lime juice and herbs (if using). Taste and add salt if necessary.
Substitutions
- White onion- yellow or Spanish onion are also perfect.
- Smoked paprika - substitute with regular paprika or hot if you like things spicy!
- Dried chili flakes - omit, decrease or increase to your preferred spice level
- Chickpeas - any type of beans will work in this soup
- Baby spinach - use regular spinach that has been chopped or 300-500 g of frozen spinach. If using a block of frozen spinach, defrost it first and squeeze out the water. You can also use other greens for this soup such as arugula, kale, collard greens or Swish chard.
Equipment
Nothing fancy is required to prepare this recipe. However, if you are looking for a hand blender I recommend this Cuisinart Hand Blender (affiliate link). It comes with extra attachments which can come in handy!
Storage
Store this soup in the refrigerator for up to one week and freeze for up to 6 months.
Top tip
Slowly steaming the vegetables with the lid on creates a sweet and creamy base for the soup. Check the heat to make sure the vegetables aren't browning too much.
More soup recipes
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📖 Recipe
Spinach and Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste (adjust amount if using salted broth)
- 2 - 540 ml cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
- 8 cups vegetable or low sodium chicken broth
- 8 cups baby spinach
- Juice of half a lime
- 2 tablespoon each fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients. Heat olive oil in a large pot, over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Lower the heat if the vegetables start to brown.
- Add garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, chili flakes, and salt. Stir well and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Add drained and rinsed chickpeas and stir to coat the chickpeas in the spices. Add broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for 30 minutes (check after a couple of minutes to make sure it isn’t boiling rapidly).
- (Optional step) Partially puree with a hand blender in 2 or 3 bursts or remove 2 cups of the soup, making sure to scoop up some of the chickpeas and vegetables, and blend in a blender or food processor. Add back to soup pot. The goal isn’t to puree all the soup but to just add a bit of creaminess to the broth.
- Add all of the spinach and stir. Let simmer for 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and add fresh herbs (if using) and lime juice. Taste and add salt as needed.
Bonnie says
Hi, Andrea! I've made ALL your soups, and each one has been a winner. Question: Is it possible to incorporate a can of coconut milk in this spinach and chickpea soup recipe? And would that alter the amount of broth? Thanks!
Andrea says
Hi Bonnie! Yes that would be delicious! I would reduce the broth by about a cup. You can always play around with it to get the consistency you like. Let me know how it turns out!
Lesley says
SO GOOD! Just the right amount of spices to tickle your tongue and make it interesting. Have made it several times. LOVE IT!!
Mary says
The spinach and chick pea soup is delicious! Fast and easy, love it . I used my instant pot done in 3 min.
Fay Walton says
Absolutely delicious
Kathy says
Easy to make and delicious