Hearty Chickpea Soup
The perfect Fall and Winter Comfort food. This Hearty Chickpea Soup, made with loads of chickpeas, potato, tomatoes and spices is made creamy by blending half the ingredients, adding a little pasta makes it perfect. A meal all in itself!
If you are a chickpea lover than you should give this other Chickpea Soup a try. When it comes to Fall and Winter, A delicious Creamy Soup , Potato Soup or an Italian Beef Stew are always my favourite meals to make. Nothing like a big bowl of soup to warm you up!
I also love to make beans and I prefer dried beans from Chickpeas, black beans, borlotti beans, cannellini beans to navy beans, they are so much better than canned beans. You just have to plan in advance since it takes 8 hours for soaking.
Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Potato
- Chickpeas – dried and soaked or canned and drained
- Tomatoes
- Spices – parsley, oregano, basil, salt and pepper
- Pasta – small pasta such as ditalloni
How to make a Hearty Chickpea Soup
In a large pot add the olive oil, minced onion, garlic and celery, saute on low/medium heat until clear.
Then add the potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, water and spices simmer on low/medium until tender and thickened. In the last 15 minutes cook the pasta in a separate pot until al dente then drain well, do not rinse (I prefer Orecchiette pasta in this soup).
Remove half the cooked soup and blend until smooth, return to the pot, add the pasta and heat until hot. Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Cooking Dried Beans
There are three different methods for cooking dried beans, the first which is the Traditional Method, is what I usually do and that is to soak the beans for 8 hours.
I place the dried beans (I rinse them in cold water first) in a bowl of cold water before I go to bed and in the morning they are ready for cooking, just drain, rinse and cook.
The second method is the Hot Soak method, place beans in a large pot and cover with 10 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans.
Then heat to boiling and continue to boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 4-24 hours, then drain the beans and cook.
The third method is the Fastest method which I have yet to try. Place the beans in a large pot and add 6 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans.
Then heat to boiling and continue to boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove the beans from the heat and let stand one hour. Drain the beans and rinse with cold water. Then cook until tender.
This Creamy Chickpea Soup was made creamy not by the addition of cream, but by blending half the ingredients and then adding it to the pot with the remaining mixture.
I also found that adding Orecchietti pasta was the perfect choice in this soup. I also cooked the pasta before adding it to the soup.
Can I use canned chickpeas?
If using canned chickpeas, then drain and rinse, use 2 cups of water and cook for approximately 30 minutes, add more water if needed.
How to store the Chickpea Soup
Any leftover soup should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep for about 3-4 days.
If you plan on freezing the soup, then freeze it in a freezer safe container. But be sure to freeze it without the addition of pasta. The pasta will get too mushy and it won’t be very tasty. It will keep for up to four months in the freezer.
What to serve with this Hearty Chickpea Soup
- Since this is such a filling Comfort food, I always find that one of the perfect side dishes is a Simple Tossed Salad but here are a few more to choose from …
- Shredded Brussel Sprouts Salad
- Roasted Vegetables, Italian style
- Homemade Focaccia or Bread
- A Roasted Parsnip Salad
If you are looking for a Comforting Meal this Fall or Winter I hope you give this Chickpea Soup a try and let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!
Hearty Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ onion (minced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 stalk celery (chopped)
- 1 potato (chopped small)
- 2¼ cups chickpeas**
- 1 can tomatoes pelati (nothing added) (14.4 oz or 356 grams)
- 3 cups water
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- hot pepper flakes to taste
- 1½ cups cooked pasta (more or less)
**¾ cups of dried chickpeas (should equal 2¼ cups) soaked for 8 hours in cold water, then drained and rinsed.
Instructions
- In a large pot add olive oil, minced onion, garlic and celery, sautee on low/medium heat for 2 minutes or until clear.
- Then add potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, water and spices simmer on low/medium until tender and thickened (approximately 60 minutes).
- In the last 15 minutes cook the pasta in a separate pot until al dente then drain well, do not rinse (I prefer Orecchiette pasta in this soup).
- Remove half the cooked soup and blend until smooth, return to the pot, add the pasta and heat until hot. Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
This is totally delicious! I used vegetable broth instead of water, blended all of it, and had my own cooked chickpeas. The 60 min cook time leaves it very thick, and it’s not brothy, so you’ll have to add more liquid. Top with basil and parsley and a touch more red pepper flakes; this is already a favorite! Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Emily, thanks so much and you’re welcome, so glad you enjoyed it!
We’re having this for lunch today and loving it. I soaked the chick peas overnight, then cooked for 15 minutes in InstaPot, instant release. No noodles this time, but will be adding those next time.
Hi Sue, thanks so much and thanks for letting me know about the instant pot. Take care and have a great week!
This was amazing!
May I ask you why you cook the pasta separately and then add it to the soup? For laziness I just cooked it in the soup at the end, and it turned out fine!!
Hi Matteo, I do both actually, my mother in law always did that so I just followed her way at the beginning. 🙂
Outstanding! Modifications made: cooked 1 cup pre soaked chick peas for 5 minutes in instant pot and added 1 tsp of vegetable paste/broth to ingredients. Used natural release. I then added a few slices of precooked healthy sausage and half a bag of fresh spinach , left instant pot off but with the lid loosely covered.
Hi Doris, thanks so much, so glad you liked the recipe. Take care and have a great weekend!
Fantastic recipe! Easy and delicious. I made it last night and my ten and twelve year olds loved it! I did use sweet potatoes, because I was out of potatoes, and found I was also out of celery, but had a little bok choy. But it turned out so well I’ll definitely be making this again!
Hi Audrey, thanks so much, so glad you and your kids enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know about the sweet potatoes and bok choy. Take care and have a great weekend!
Could I use sweet potatoes instead of white in this recipe?
Thanks<
Hi Sylvia, sure I don’t see why not Let me know how it goes. Take care!
I did ant it was delicious!! I also added red pepper and chili
Hi Matteo, thanks glad you liked it. Take care and have a great weekend!
I made this for dinner and couldn’t get enough of it! loved the flavors. Can’t wait to try more recipes.
Thanks
Cathy
Hi Cathy, thanks so much, so glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy the other recipes you try. Take care!
This soup was great. Nutritious and filling.
Hi Pamela, thanks so much, glad you liked the soup. Take care!
Is this soup okay to freeze? Or how long will it keep in the fridge?
Hi Joce, I wouldn’t recommend freezing any soup with pasta in it, the texture won’t be nearly as good. You could freeze it with out the pasta and then add it when you want to serve it. The soup should keep 3-4 days in the fridge. Hope this helps. Take care!
Made this today. It turned out great, however I was.wanting to know what size of canned tomatoes should it be?
Hi Tammy the size of the can is 14 oz or 356 grams. Glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
Oriechiette vs Shells? Is your preference taste, firmness, asthetics, ???
Hi Bob, I find orecchiette firmer than shells. I am not really a great lover of orecchiette although I do like them in a soup. If I had to pick one, it would be a smaller pasta for soups or stews, such as ditalini or even shells. Hope that helps. Take care!
If using canned chickpeas how many cans or ounces are equal to the dried in this recipe?
Hi Diane I would say 2 – 2 1/2 cups of canned chickpeas, probably 2 cans. Let me know how it goes. Take care!
What are tomatoes palati?
HI Namcy, pelati tomatoes are skinned plum (san marzano) tomatoes that are canned in their own juice with no additives (such as salt, garlic basil etc). Mutti is a good brand.