I am a self-proclaimed soup queen and have no shortage of soup recipes. But this Lemon Chickpea Soup might just be my favorite-ever soup because it’s made with mostly pantry staples yet is deceptively delicious.
The trick: half the chickpeas get pureed with lemon zest, miso, and nutritional yeast into a creamy base that makes every spoonful rich and savory. A bit of long-grain white rice naturally thickens the broth, and a big hit of fresh dill and lemon juice keeps things bright enough you’ll want to enjoy this soup all year long.
It’s the kind of soup that feels indulgent but is quietly loaded with good stuff; 16g of fiber and 20g of protein per serving, no heavy cream in sight. And it’s a meal prep dream: leftovers keep for 5+ days, and it freezes beautifully.
Table of Contents:
1. Ingredient notes
2. Step-by-step instructions
3. Tips for making this recipe
4. Frequently Asked Questions
5. Recipe card with notes
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With over 1.4 million views on YouTube, this chickpea soup recipe is a huge hit with my community. I hope you love it just as much!
Ingredient notes
- Chickpeas. Two cans, used two ways: one simmered in the soup, the other pureed with lemon zest, miso, nutritional yeast, and plant milk into a creamy base. That puree is how you get the rich, cheesy body. Freshly cooked chickpeas make it even better if you have time (see the FAQ section for instructions), but canned chickpeas works great here.
- Long-grain white rice. A small amount thickens the soup naturally as it simmers. I’m partial to jasmine rice but any long-grain rice works. Sub: Brown rice works but needs to be pre-boiled separately (see recipe card).
- Lemon. Lots of fresh juice and zest make this soup sing so don’t skimp! A microplane and citrus juicer make quick work of it (and are two of my most-used kitchen tools!).
- Dill. I love the citrusy and grassy flavor of dill against the tart lemon. Sub: Fresh basil, flat-leaf parsley, or a blend of all three. If you end up with leftover dill, use it to whip up a batch of my Vegan Ranch Dressing or this lovely Asparagus Galette.
- Miso + nutritional yeast. The umami duo that makes the soup taste delightfully savory and cheesy so don’t skip these! Use white or mellow miso only, as darker varieties will overwhelm the soup.
Step-by-step instructions
Start by rinsing the rice in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the carrot and onion and cook until they’ve softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring often. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, coriander, turmeric, and red pepper flakes. If needed, deglaze the pot with a splash of vegetable broth.
Add the rinsed rice and toss to coat. Next, add one can of chickpeas, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Pour in the vegetable broth and half of the chopped dill. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the chickpea puree.
In a food processor, blend together until smooth: one can of chickpeas, plant milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, miso, salt, and pepper.
Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Stir the chickpea puree and chopped spinach into the soup. Simmer until thickened and the spinach is wilted.
Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and remaining dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve the soup in bowls with crusty bread on the side for dunking. Enjoy!
Tips for making this recipe
Adjust the flavors to your liking
Once the soup is finished simmering, give it a taste and adjust the flavors however you want.
Love big lemony flavor? Add more fresh lemon juice or zest. Want some spice in just about everything? Add an extra pinch of red pepper flakes. There’s always room to sprinkle in more fresh herbs or a dollop of vegan pesto. Or keep it simple, and drizzle every bowl with good-quality olive oil for richness.
Make it your own
While I’d love for you to try the recipe as written the first time, there are so many ways to put your own spin on its flavors, consistency, and textures:
- Swap the chickpeas for white beans for extra creaminess.
- Switch up the herbs. Use flat-leaf parsley or basil instead of dill, or a blend of all three.
- Add more veggies. Toss in sliced celery, shaved fennel, or shredded cabbage after sautéing the onions and carrots, or add a handful of cauliflower florets with the broth.
- More greens. Bump the baby spinach up to 5 ounces (140g).
- Add some crunch. Top your bowl with the crispy lentils from my Butternut Squash Soup, homemade croutons or roasted chickpeas (check out pages 229 and 236 of Big Vegan Flavor, respectively).
Multitask efficiently
To make this chickpea soup recipe come together as efficiently as possible, you’ll want to do a little multitasking. Here’s what I do.
- Since the onions and carrots sauté for about 10 minutes and don’t need to be stirred very often, use that time to chop the garlic and measure out the tomato paste and spices.
- While the soup simmers, make the chickpea puree and chop the baby spinach.
Frequently Asked Questions
While an immersion blender works well when you’re blending soup, here, the blending that happens is with the chickpea puree. It has pretty minimal liquid (just ½ cup milk) so an immersion blender won’t be able to blend things smoothly.
Stick with a food processor or a small-capacity blender cup.
Once you’ve let the soup cool to room temp, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. Reheat your leftovers on the stove over medium or medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking together.
To brighten up the leftovers as needed, top the reheated soup with a pinch of lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a drizzle of good-quality extra virgin olive oil for richness.
Although I find this lemon chickpea soup plenty hearty and filling on its own, I never say no to crusty bread for dunking.
Gluten-free? Opt for simple roasted potatoes, or go the fancy (but easy) route with my Crispy Smashed Potatoes!
Absolutely! Freeze the soup in a few airtight containers for 3 to 4 months. We love to freeze soup in these handy Souper Cubes (affiliate link) for single-serve portions that are quick to defrost. Let the leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stove the next day.
If you love this Lemony Chickpea Soup recipe, please be sure to leave a rating and review below! And tag me on Instagram – I love seeing your photos!
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Lemon Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (65 to 70g) long-grain white rice (see Note 1)
- ¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil
- 4 medium carrots, scrubbed and finely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 (15-ounce / 425g) cans chickpeas, divided
- ¾ cup (12g) fresh dill (no thick stems), chopped and divided
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (½ tsp for a kick)
- 4 cups (960 mL) vegetable broth
- 3 ounces (85g) baby spinach or baby kale (can add more, see Note 2)
- ½ cup (120 mL) creamy unsweetened plant-based milk, such as full-fat oat milk or canned “lite” coconut milk
- 1 large lemon zested + 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
- ¼ cup (20g) nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white miso
Instructions
- Add the rice to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse a few times until almost clear, then drain.
- Drain and rinse one can of chickpeas and set aside for step 5. Drain and rinse the other can of chickpeas and transfer to a food processor or small-capacity blender for step 8.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the carrots and onion. Season with a few pinches of salt. Stir occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste plus spices (oregano, coriander, turmeric, and red pepper flakes). Stir almost constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the tomato paste is a darker red brick color. If it sticks or starts to burn, lower the heat and deglaze with a splash of broth.
- Add the rinsed rice and toss to coat in the aromatics and oil for 1 minute. Add one can of drained chickpeas, plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Pour in the vegetable broth, followed by half of the chopped dill. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer and cover the pan. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until the rice is soft.
- While the soup simmers, roughly chop the spinach and make the chickpea puree.
- Chickpea Puree: To the chickpeas in the food processor or blender, add the milk, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, nutritional yeast, miso, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Blend until pureed and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed.
- Stir the Chickpea Puree into the soup to combine, then add the chopped spinach. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the soup thickens and greens slightly wilt.
- Off the heat, stir in the remaining dill and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste, adding salt/pepper or more lemon juice as desired. Transfer to bowls and drizzle each bowl with a bit of good-quality olive oil for richness.
Video
Notes
- If using brown rice, you’ll need to quick-boil it first. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and season with a pinch of salt. Stir in the brown rice and gently boil without stirring for 10 minutes. Drain the rice in a fine mesh sieve and set aside.
- For a nutrition boost, feel free to go up to 5 ounces (140g) of baby spinach (1 standard-sized bag).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
I loved this!
I wasn’t sure about making this becasue of the many ingredients (I’m more of a few ingredients kind of person). I’m not vegan but I want to eat a more plant based food and I’m a huge fan of your youtube channel and website. This was delicious, I found it hard to resist eating it all before placing it in the freezer for work the following week. It is so tasty and it was really easy to make. Thank you x
Hi Jeannette, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe and thank you for all of your support 🙂
Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
This was very good, a definite make again!
Hi Valerie, thank you so much for your kind review!
I made this tonight, with a couple of adjustments. I added in more spinach, some broccoli and a bag of frozen peas.
I also switched the beans to cannellini beans.
I swapped the tomato paste with harrisa.
What amazing flavors!
Honestly, when I made the bean part in the food processor, I exclaimed how that now needs to be my spring dip. Delicious! The lemon with the miso, nutritional yeast and beans created such a dip.
This is now my new springtime favorite soup (that will be made year round)!
Hi L, thanks for sharing your experience with us! Have you tried Nisha’s lemony white bean dip? I think you’d love it. Cheers 🙂
OMG, the soup is one of the tastiest I’ve ever had! I cannot believe I made it! Thank you so much Nisha for all your delicious recipes. I am enjoying one after the other.
We appreciate your feedback and support, Divya. Thank you for leaving a review!
Disclaimer: I’m not vegan. Not even vegetarian. But this popped up in my YT feed and it sounded good. It’s amazing! The spice combo does the trick (and I left the dill out bc I’m not a fan). I’m on day 3 of eating it, and plan and making another batch tomorrow, not even close to being bored with it! I used coconut milk and baby spinach. I doubted whether the lemon would really accomplish that much, but it does! You only have to chop one onion and four carrots, that’s it! Blending in the second can of chickpeas gives it a hearty stew texture, and in spite of the 64g carbs, it’s still only a 4 on the glycemic index. Bc fiber! This help me hit the fiber macro and some others without a blood sugar crash! I passed it on to my dietitian, and she’s going to try it, too!
Thank you for your lovely comment, Linda! It makes us happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe and that you’ve shared it with your dietitian as well 🙂
This is one of my favorite late winter/ early spring recipes because it’s a time when I’m always buried in “too many” fresh herbs and greens, and need to make room in the garden for summer crops. It’s also just the right soup for days in the 60s when I don’t crave a heavy hearty stew nor a cold summer salad. I’ve made this soup as written, with fresh spinach (delicious!), but when in-between spinach crops I’ve also made it with blanched lambsquarters (just as good as spinach imo), beet greens (just as good–when de-stemmed), and blanched stinging nettles. The last was my absolute favorite, so if you have a non-toxic yard or other safe foraging spot, I highly recommend trying it!
Hi Lee, thanks for the thorough review! So cool to hear how you’ve incorporated veggies from your garden into the soup! 🙂
Excellent. Very rich aroma. I replaced the dill (I hate it) with basil and it went great. The spinach is a touch of genius.
Thanks for the basil tip! I’m also not a fan of dill!
We’re so happy that the soup turned out well for you, Ramona. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for trying out the recipe!
Love love love this recipe! I sometimes make a similar soup with red lentils which works nicely too! Thanks for getting my dinner inspo done for the day!
Thank you for your lovely comment, Rachel! It makes us happy to know that you are a fan of the recipe.
I made this soup last Sunday for a mini meal prep for this week. This seems to be the same recipe from one of Nisha’s YouTube videos. My goodness… I’ve made chickpea soups/stews before but this one is next level. The use of miso and nutritional yeast makes this a bit different from other recipies I’ve tried… but the impact on flavor –> Boom! What a difference!!!! It really makes this soup stand out! This will become a staple in my repertoire of monthly meal preps. Side note: I recently got the book Big Vegan Flavor and I’ve already made one of the hummus dressing recipies and a tofu recipie…. double Boom, Boom! Full of flavor! Nisha, thank you sooo much for sharing your knowledge! You make cooking feel easy, accesible, and fun (your Youtube videos are the best!), and I’m learning sooo much from just the first chapters of your book. Wishing you the best! Greetings from Panama!
Wow, this absolutely made our day to read! We’re so glad you loved the soup. Miso and nutritional yeast really do take the flavor up a notch, and I love that it’s becoming a meal prep staple for you.
It’s amazing to hear you’re enjoying the recipes and learning from the book. Thank you for your kind words and for being part of this community. It means so much. Sending warm greetings to you in Panama! 💛
SUPER DELICIOUS! Wonderfully healthy and filling soup. Substituted savoy cabbage for the spinach, otherwise followed the recipe and it was perfection.
Thanks for the wonderful review, Seema! 🙂
Thanks for the basil tip! I also am not a fan of dill!