Delicious food doesn’t need to be complicated. This simple, deeply flavourful chickpea soup (garbanzo bean soup) is the perfect example of what Mediterranean food excels at. Eat it because you enjoy it, and benefit from its nourishment. Satisfaction is guaranteed whether you are vegetarian, vegan or an omnivore.
Lots to Love
There are many things to love about chickpea soup.
- Incredibly satisfying – Tasty and filling! This flavorful soup does an excellent job of keeping you satiated.
- Healthy – Check out the impressive nutrition info below the recipe.
- Convenient – One pot! Enough said.
- Requires very little effort – Even less once you have some stashed away in the freezer.
- Great make-ahead meal – A savior of meals, really, on busy or lazy days. This soup defines meal planning. I like to make the base recipe, and add any variational ingredients later when warming up the soup to serve. It can be made and kept in the fridge for a few days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Flexible – I usually make this Italian version of the soup with tomatoes, pasta and chicken broth. However, the basic recipe allows for lots of variation. You can mix it up with spinach, kale, fennel, slices of toasted bread or croutons, different herbs and spices… The Mediterranean has many delicious variations of chickpea soup, and I’ve included some classic ones in the recipe.
- Great value is an understatement – Lots of taste and nourishment for very little cost.
Another Satisfying Soup to Love: Fennel Pumpkin Soup
Recipe Source – This is an authentic version of chickpea soup from Italy, Zuppa di Ceci, recited to me by my mother-in-law, and one I have made hundreds of times since. I still have my handwritten notes. Her simple instructions reflect a traditional version from the Italian island of Sardinia: (translated) “Cook the beans in water. (First, soak overnight in abundant water and baking soda, then rinse very well). Add a simple soffritto of onion (chopped and pan-fried). Salt to your liking. One can also add: broth, tomato sauce, pasta and oil.”
Ingredients
Chickpea soup is flavorful, delicious and satisfying as a vegetarian or vegan soup. Onions and salt play importantissimo supporting roles to the chickpeas. Tomatoes further deepen and round out the flavors, as well as chicken broth, if you like. Additional delicious toppings like bacon or sausage can be added for meat lovers at the table. Pasta makes the soup more substantial and deliciously satisfying.
Chickpeas
The creamy, nourishing chickpea, with its hazelnut (or brainy) looks and buttery nutty flavor, is the star ingredient. Is there anyone that doesn’t think of adorable yellow chicks when hearing the word chickpeas (or is it just me)? A chickpea (Cicer arietinum), also known as a garbanzo bean, is the edible seed (known as a pulse) of a pod plant (known as a legume).
Dried Chickpeas vs. Canned
Canned chickpeas are convenient. Dried chickpeas have more flavor. The choice is yours. I find that taking the time to soak them overnight, as well as the extra cooking time, is worth the deeper soul-satisfying flavor.
If Using Dried Chickpeas
Soaking is essential to help dried chickpeas cook. The older, the harder, and the longer they need to soak, around 8 to 12 hours. Just put them to soak and go to bed, or work. Make sure they are covered with water by at least 2 inches (5cm) so that they will still be covered when they expand.
If any chickpeas make it above the water line, and you happen to hear an unfamiliar sound coming from the kitchen, it may be the unsubmerged chickpeas chitchatting (really, they can go on and on with chatter). To help out with a shorter cooking time and tenderness, soak and cook the dried chickpeas with baking soda.
Puréeing the Chickpeas
This chickpea soup is so creamy you would think it has cream in it, but there isn’t any, not a drop. The creaminess comes from puréeing a portion of the cooked chickpeas until smooth and velvety. You can puree half the chickpeas, all, or somewhere in between. In general, I like to blend somewhere around 85%.
By the way, pureed chickpeas are easier to digest. Another benefit of puréeing them is that it lets you stretch out the soup into more meals. I portion out the purée and add more liquid at the time of reheating. The thickness is up to you. Just add more or less water or broth to your liking.
Tip: If your household is like mine, where some like it thicker and some like it soupier, you can blend different levels of hot liquid into each bowl separately.
Another option is to leave the chickpeas whole, which would make it more like a chickpea broth or minestra di ceci. Tip: I would taste them first, as some, usually older, chickpeas seem to never soften, no matter how long you cook them. In this case, I puree them all!
Tools
I find an immersion blender (hand/stick blender) the most convenient. For the very smoothest texture, a great food processor or blender works best, yet does mean extra work and dishes to clean. In a pinch, a potato masher can suffice for a very rustic texture.
Chickpeas are originally from the Mediterranean, and their cultivation goes back at least 10,000 years. Like so many foods, however, the exact geography is debated. Whether originating in Turkey, the Levant, Egypt or France, chickpea stews and soups of all kinds and variations are popular throughout the Mediterranean, including places like Greece, Morocco, Italy and Spain.
Chickpeas have long been an important staple because they are healthy (rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, particularly high in folate, and minerals, low glycemic index…), filling, budget friendly and versatile. Rich in nourishment yet ironically once considered cooking of the poor, cucina povera in Italy, they have long been served on Fridays for those observing the tradition of meatless meals.
Liquid
Chicken broth is great for additional depth. You can also add vegetable broth, or just water, and it will still be delicious. In fact, I often use just water.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes add that savory depth of flavor we love, and a nice touch of color. You can use fresh tomatoes (peeled and chopped), canned tomatoes (hand crushed or roughly chopped), or even concentrated tomato paste from the tube, if that’s what you have at the moment.
Pasta
Pasta is a very common pairing to chickpeas in Italy, where the dish is called Pasta e Ceci (pronounced CHEH-chee) — essentially Pasta e Fagioli (beans) using chickpeas.
Or you could call it Garbanzo Bean Pasta. I actually call it lots of things: Pasta e Ceci, Zuppa di Ceci, or just Ceci Soup with pasta, since I can be an incorrigible blender of languages in the same sentence.
Best Pasta Shapes
Pasta Choosing Tip: Keep the pasta fairly small. When choosing pasta for chickpea soup, think of it fitting into a spoon. Also, remember the pasta will expand as it cooks, and even more so when sitting in a refrigerator — sometimes doubling in size. (For that reason, with longer penne pasta like in the above photo, I boil it in just enough soup for that meal.)
Pasta Cooking Tip: Unless you plan to eat the whole pot of soup in one sitting, add the pasta on a per-meal basis. This will keep your pasta from getting water-logged in the soup while in the refrigerator, and give you the freedom to make different variations. Heat up a meal’s worth of soup with enough water or broth to cook the pasta to al dente. Then, according to how you like it, either add more liquid to thin it down, or cook it down until thickened to your desired consistency.
- Short pastas are best, like mezze penne (half penne), orecchiette (flat discs) or even smaller ditalini (hollow tube stubs).
- You can also break up long pasta, like spaghettini or vermicelli, into short pieces (under 1″/2.5cm in length) before cooking.
- If you have fresh pasta (homemade or store-bought), or the scraps from making fresh pasta, why not cut them up and throw them in! You can cut up any flat fresh pasta, pappardelle for instance, into whatever shapes you like. Italians call these oddly cut pasta pieces maltagliati (pronounced mahl-tah-LYAH-tee).
Mediterranean Chickpea Soup Variations
There are many variations of chickpea soup throughout Italy and around the Mediterranean. Countries such as Spain, Greece, Turkey, Morocco and France, to name a few, all have their own take, and all are equally delicious.
As this is an easily adaptable recipe, you have a lot of leeway to hone chickpea soup according to your taste, geography, local market or mood! Below are some popular additions and variations.
Aromatic Additions & Variations
- Saffron – Saffron in chickpea soup is particularly found in Italian regions well known for their production of this special spice, such as Sardinia and Abruzzo, as well as other parts of the Mediterranean. Saffron adds a unique delicate touch. You can use saffron threads or powdered saffron. I use saffron sparingly, primarily because it is expensive, and secondly, because a little goes a long way both in color and flavor. (You can also add saffron in combination with cumin as in the Moorish Spanish style garbanzo soup below.)
- Chili powder – Optional for those who love spiciness, or use piment d’Espelette for a milder touch.
- Fresh Woody Herbs – Chickpeas love woody herbs like chopped rosemary (often used in Tuscany, Rome/Lazio …), sage, or thyme leaves.
- Garlic – Add a clove or two for a pungently pleasurable kick of taste and aroma.
Greek Inspired Variation
Taking inspiration from the traditional Greek soup of chickpeas, revithia, and a love for lemons and garlic. Note, the chickpeas are typically left whole.
- Lemons – Stir freshly squeezed lemon juice into the pot before serving, or offer lemon wedges to squeeze into individual bowls at the table. (You can also use a touch of vinegar in place of lemons, to taste, adding a spoon at a time.)
- Garlic – Add a generous amount, from several cloves up to a whole head of garlic.
- Dill – Garnish with fresh dill, finely chopped.
Add Greens and Green Vegetables
Leafy greens like spinach, beet greens or chard, or green vegetables such as chopped fennel, can be added to the pot while simmering.
Moorish Spanish Inspired Variation
The combination of spinach and cumin takes inspiration from Moorish influenced Andalusian Spain’s Garbanzo bean dish, Espinacas con Garbanzos. Depending on how you like it, you can serve this thinner as a soup, or quite thick. Serve with toasted rustic bread drizzled with good extra virgin olive oil. Note, the chickpeas are typically left whole.
- Spinach – Can be fresh or frozen.
- Powdered Cumin adds a nice Mediterranean hint of warming spice to the chickpeas, with a lovely dark amber color, and an earthy aroma that perfectly compliments the grassy sweetness of hearty spinach.
Crusty Bread or Croutons
In place of pasta, enjoy with a great country loaf, or slices of baguette, fresh or fixed up:
- Rustic Bread – Toasted or pan-fried with a drizzle of olive oil. For added aroma and taste, rub with a crushed garlic clove while the bread is still hot.
- Crostini (Croutons) – Cubed or sliced, easily make your own out of stale bread drizzled with olive oil and then toasted or pan-fried.
Great Meat Options
- Pancetta or Bacon Lardons – Small pieces of crispy bacon strips will bring the needed touch for meat lovers at the table. In Italy, I use conveniently pre-cut pancetta. You can also cut lardons from bacon. Pan-fry them and sprinkle on each bowl before serving.
- Sausage -Sauté ground or link sausage, cut into rounds, and sprinkle on top just before serving.
#1 Tip
Make enough of the base version for several meals in one go. Your future self will be grateful! Chickpea soup is the perfect make-ahead meal, ready to pull out of the refrigerator or freezer when your day is busy, the hour is late, or you just want a nourishing homemade meal to come home to.
Recipe
Tools
- Immersion Blender, food processor, blender or potato masher
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried chickpeas, or 4 (15oz/425g) cans
- 1 onion, thinly sliced into half-moons or quarters
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus optional extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 1 tsp baking soda, (plus a pinch if soaking dried chickpeas)
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 7 oz tomatoes (canned or about 1 large fresh tomato), roughly chopped (in a pinch, you can substitute 1 Tbsp double concentrated tomato paste)
- 6 oz pasta (ideally a small pasta shape like mezze penne, orecchiette, ditalini, broken spaghettini or maltagliati/cuttings of fresh pasta)
- 1 Tbsp fine sea salt
- 2 cups chicken broth, or water
Instructions
Pre-Soak Dried Chickpeas (8 to 12 hours)
- Sort through and remove any pebbles. To help the chickpeas soften and cook faster, soak in water with a pinch of baking soda. The water level should be at least 2" (5cm) above the chickpeas so they remain submerged as they expand.
Making the Soup
- Sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat in a large pot, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. If they start to brown too much, just add a little water.
- Boil: In a colander, drain and rinse the chickpeas with cold water. Add them to the sautéed onion and cover with fresh water about 1" (3cm) above the level of the chickpeas. Add the baking soda and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that comes to the surface.
- Simmer: Add the tomatoes and lower the heat to a simmer. If using dried chickpeas, simmer covered, with the lid slightly askew, for around 1½ hours, or until tender. (It's better to overcook them than undercook them.) If using canned chickpeas, you only need to simmer them for around 10 minutes.
- Stir in the salt.
- Blend about 80% of the chickpeas: (You can also leave them whole, or blend up to 100% for a velvety soup). The most convenient method is with an immersion blender. If using a food processor or blender, transfer the chickpeas with a slotted spoon, in batches if necessary. Purée until smooth. If needed, add a little of the hot liquid to help blending. Stir back into the soup.At this point you can refrigerate the base soup (or freeze in portions), to be finished later.
- When ready to finish, add the chicken broth or water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, around 15 minutes. Add more liquid if needed to prevent sticking, or if you would like a thinner soup. Or, cook it down a little further to thicken. Taste and adjust for salt to your liking. Serve simply with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and a few rounds of black pepper, or see variations for other ideas.
Variations:
- Saffron – Stir 1 pinch of saffron threads, or 1 individual packet of powdered saffron, into the pot just before serving.
- Chili powder – Add a pinch when sautéeing the onion.
- Fresh Herbs – Add 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary, sage, or thyme leaves, or mixture, when sautéeing the onion.
- Rustic Bread or Croutons – Serve as a topping or on the side, in place of pasta.
- Toast sliced bread from a rustic loaf or baguette, or pan-fry with a drizzle of olive oil. For added flavor, rub with a crushed garlic clove while bread is still hot.
- Toast your own croutons in the oven out of stale bread: Cut into cubes or slices. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss with just enough oil to lightly coat. Toast in the oven at around 375°F/190°C for around 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Pancetta (pre-diced) or Bacon Lardons – To make lardons, cut bacon crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2” (15-20mm) wide strips, and sauté in a skillet until crispy and lightly golden. Set aside on paper towels to keep crisp. Sprinkle over each soup bowl just before serving.
- Sausage – Sauté ground or link sausage, cut into rounds. Sprinkle on top before serving.
- Greens or Green Vegetables – Add beet greens, chard, or green vegetables such as chopped fennel at the beginning of simmering, or delicate greens such as spinach in the last step.
- Moorish-Spanish-Inspired – (Chickpeas are typically kept whole.) In the last step, instead of pasta, add a minimum of 5 oz (150g) of spinach (fresh of frozen), 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and a small pinch of chili powder. Bring just to a boil and serve.
- Greek-Inspired – (Chickpeas are typically kept whole.) Add one or all:
- Lemon – Stir the fresh juice of 2 lemons into the hot soup before serving.
- Garlic – (2 to 6 cloves) Stir in minced garlic in the last minute of sautéing the onions; or add whole, crushed cloves to the simmering chickpeas.
- Dill – Garnish with fresh dill, finely chopped.
