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This creamy chickpea soup is a cozy vegetarian favorite ready in under 30 minutes. With canned chickpeas, carrots, celery, kale, and Tuscan-inspired flavors, it’s hearty and comforting — no noodles or lentils needed! A weeknight staple in our house.
save this recipe!There’s a lot going for this soup—the protein-packed chickpeas, the toothy kale, and that aromatic base of veggies. But my favorite thing about this soup? The smoked paprika. It gives this soup that long-simmered rich flavor in about half an hour.
If you’re looking for a soup that:
- you can add to your weekly rotation
- is customizable to ingredients you have in the fridge
- finishes cooking in under 30 minutes
…then this chickpea soup is it! It’s vegetarian and gluten-free, with options for making it vegan in the recipe. We’ve also included a bunch of fun ways you can customize it below. Let’s cook!
Reader rating
“Such a quick and easy soup to make that is absolutely bursting with flavor! Next time I make it I will definitely need to double the recipe because this was gone before it was done cooling!” —Levi
The main Ingredients
- Chickpeas: We’re using canned, but you could also cook the chickpeas yourself.
- Mirepoix: The classic combination of onion, carrots, celery, and garlic! Sautéed in butter or olive oil, it creates a delicious base for our soup.
- Tomato Paste: This brings savory flavor without a lot of added tomato flavor. I love freezing my tomato paste ahead of time and just popping a frozen cube of it in!
- Broth: Vegetable broth, either from a carton, cube, or make your own broth!
- Cream: We used heavy cream, but you could use half-and-half for a lighter option, or canned coconut milk for vegan or dairy-free diets.
- Kale: Because we all need a veggie this time of year!
Got a cheese rind?
Do you have a parmesan rind hiding in the back of your fridge? Throw it in this soup for the entire cooking process to infuse it with even more flavor!
Sarah’s Tip
As a nutritionist, I’m a big fan of chickpeas as a source of plant-based protein and fiber! You could really use any type of beans in its place though, like white beans or pinto!
Pairing Ideas
This soup is best served with a generous garnish of fresh parsley, parmesan cheese, and a good slice of crusty bread. Aside from those, we love to serve it with:
- Cornbread Casserole, a bready casserole I loooove serving with this soup.
- Vegetarian Caesar Salad, a classic soup and salad pairing!
Love this chickpea soup? Try my thick and cheesy chickpea chowder next!
30-Minute Tuscan Chickpea Soup with Kale
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, 28 g
- 2 ribs celery, 2 large or 4 small, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 28 g
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained
- 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 L
- 1 cup heavy cream, can sub half-and-half or coconut milk
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 15 mL
- To serve: parmesan
Instructions
- Flavor Base: Heat 2 Tbsp unsalted butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add 2 ribs celery, 2 carrots, 1 medium yellow onion, and 4 cloves garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until onion is soft and translucent.
- Spice It Up: Stir in 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, and ½ tsp salt. Continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook: Add 2 15-oz cans chickpeas and 4 cups vegetable broth. Cover and cook at a simmer for 10 minutes, until hot.
- Finish: Remove from heat, then stir in 1 cup heavy cream and 2 cups chopped kale. Stir until kale is completely submerged and wilted, about a minute. Stir in 1 Tbsp lemon juice and serve hot, optionally topping each bowl with freshly grated parmesan!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
So as a single lady household, I reduced to 1 can of Chickpeas, 2 cups of Veggie broth but kept all the spice quantities the same and used a can of coconut milk. This is scrumptious! 10/10 recommend. The fresh rosemary is absolutely key – do not skip.
Happy you enjoyed it Danielle, thanks for cooking with us!
I just made 1/2 recipe, not knowing if I’d like it; it’s just right, I added all the spices, coconut milk, and some chopped red pepper, and then used a hand-blender, to blend up about 1/4 of the recipe, making it a bit thicker. It’s really tasty, feels healthy, and as notes say, you could add anything to it, it’s a very receptive recipe, and good as it’s directed.
So glad it turned out well Carroll, thanks for the feedback!
Way too spicy. Wife and I couldn’t eat it.
Hi Andy! This really shouldn’t be a spicy soup. There’s only one ingredient that has spice flavor, the crushed red pepper flakes, and there’s only a teaspoon of them. Are you sure you measured this correctly? Sorry to hear that it turned out so spicy for you!
This is my new go-to recipe for cold/flu season—perfect for protein, vitamins, and I added extra red pepper flakes to clear out my sinuses. Swapped out kale for baby spinach, but I like that the recipe is simple enough for easy swaps. Absolutely delicious, will definitely be making this again soon!
So glad it hit the spot Jill, thanks so much for trying it!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
I’m so happy to hear it, Tami! Thanks for letting us know how it went. Enjoy!
My family loved this! I used spinach in place of kale
I’m so thrilled to hear it was a hit, Bev! Happy eating!