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This chickpea soup recipe with rice is a bright, healthy soup loaded with vegetables, lemon zest, and warm spices. A cozy, restorative meal ready in 35 minutes!
Here’s a cozy soup made of healthy veggies that’s perfect for when you’re looking for a clean-out-the-pantry meal: this cozy chickpea soup recipe! I created it when I was looking for a way to make a vegetarian version of my chicken and rice soup would be just as satisfying.
What emerged was this golden, incredibly satisfying bowl of comfort, with a hint of fresh ginger and turmeric that makes pantry staples into something that tastes far more delicious than its 35-minute cook time would suggest. It’s got the cozy nostalgia of canned soup, but it’s fresh and homemade!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 35 minutes: It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you need dinner fast
- Budget-friendly: It uses affordable pantry staples like canned chickpeas and rice
- Satisfying cozy flavor: Using warming spices balanced by fresh lemon zest
5 Star Reader Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This soup is easy to make and really good. The turmeric adds something different. I’ve added it to my rotation but I find myself cooking it more often than other meals!” -Jill
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “It was great as is (except we had to use cooked brown rice) but we added a few pinches of red pepper flakes and it was the perfect addition for our tastes to an already incredible dish! Hubby (who loves meat) says this one’s a keeper!” -Grace
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chickpea soup can be made in so many ways: try our Italian Chickpea Soup (pasta e ceci) or this pungent-spiced Moroccan Chickpea Stew. But with our love for this ingredient, of course we couldn’t stop there! This chickpea soup combines the comfort of a canned chicken rice soup with the freshness of a Greek lemon rice soup. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Yellow onion, carrots, and celery: These aromatic vegetables form the base of the soup flavor.
- Garlic and fresh ginger root: Fresh garlic and a hint of fresh ginger root adds a pop of flavor here! Don’t go without either of these.
- Spinach: I like adding spinach for added nutrition; you can also use other leafy greens like kale or chard.
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas make this soup easy. If you have cooked chickpeas on hand, you can use 1 ½ cups for each can.
- Long grain white rice: You can also make this soup using cooked brown rice.
- Olive oil: Used for sauteing.
- Vegetable broth: This forms the base of the soup. You can use any type of broth you have on hand or even homemade vegetable broth.
- Ground turmeric: Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that’s part of the ginger family, and has an earthy, almost mustard-like flavor. It adds a nice golden color and zingy flavor to the broth. Grab a jar and can use up the rest with these turmeric recipes.
- Lemon zest: It’s optional, but it adds a beautiful brightness to the soup without making it sour. (It’s similar to a Greek lemon soup, but not quite as intense.)
How to Make Chickpea Soup
This soup comes together in one pot; here are the main steps:
- Prep your vegetables first. Get everything ready to go before cooking: this makes the cooking process much smoother!
- Sauté the flavor base. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for about 5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add aromatics and protein. Toss in the minced garlic, ginger, drained chickpeas, and half a teaspoon of salt. Sauté for just one minute until fragrant.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer. Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the garlic powder, turmeric, remaining salt, and rice. Bring everything to a simmer uncovered and let it bubble away for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Finish with greens. Stir in the baby spinach and lemon zest and cook for just a minute until the spinach wilts. If using more sturdy greens like kale or chard, add them a few minutes earlier.
Storage and Make Ahead Tips
A few important notes about storage of this chickpea soup with rice! The rice expands in the soup over time, which is expected. Here’s what to know:
- Add a splash of water when reheating leftovers. This soup lasts for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, but you’ll notice the rice expands during storage. Add a splash of water and a pinch of salt when you reheat it to bring it back to a soup-like texture.
- The soup also freezes up to 2 months. Again, you may need to add a little extra water or broth when you reheat it.
Can You Use Leftover Rice?
Yes! You can add leftover cooked rice to this soup. Simply add 2 cups cooked rice in place of the ¾ cup dry rice. You can reduce the simmer time to about 10 minutes since the rice is already cooked!
Serving Suggestions
Want to make it a meal? This chickpea soup with rice works as a simple dinner or an easy lunch recipe. Here are a few ideas of what to pair with it:
- Bread like a piece of artisan bread
- Muffins like cornbread muffins or popovers
- Cornbread like skillet cornbread or vegan cornbread
- Green salads like easy arugula salad or apple salad
- Cheese and crackers
- Veggies and dip like hummus or cottage cheese ranch dip
Dietary Notes
This chickpea soup is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, gluten-free and dairy-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Brown rice works, but you’ll want to use the option for pre-cooked rice since it takes longer and requires more liquid. Add 2 cups cooked brown rice in place of the ¾ cup dry rice. You can reduce the simmer time to about 10 minutes since the rice is already cooked.
While fresh ginger is best, you can use ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger in a pinch. Add it with the other spices rather than sautéing it with the vegetables.
Absolutely! Use the Sauté function for the vegetables and aromatics, then add the remaining ingredients. Pressure cook on High for 8 minutes with a natural release. The texture will be slightly different but equally delicious.
Yes, this soup freezes well for up to 2 months. Remember to add extra water or broth when reheating since the rice expands during storage.
Definitely! I’ve successfully added bell peppers and kale. Add heartier vegetables like peppers with the carrots and celery, or toss in kale at the end with the spinach.
Chickpea Soup with Rice
This chickpea soup recipe with rice is a bright, healthy soup loaded with vegetables, lemon zest, and warm spices. A cozy, restorative meal ready in 35 minutes!
- Prep Time: 13 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Soup
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced (1-inch nub)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¾ cup long grain white rice
- 3 cups baby spinach (or chopped greens like kale or chard)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (half lemon)
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion. Peel and chop the carrots. Chop the celery. Peel the ginger with a spoon, then mince the ginger. Mince the garlic. Drain the chickpeas.
- Prepare the soup: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chickpeas, and ½ teaspoon of the salt and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable broth, garlic powder, turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt, rice and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Stir in the spinach and lemon zest and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and add a pinch more salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve warm (garnish with grated Parmesan for a flavor punch, if you like). Stores 3 days refrigerated; the rice soaks up the broth over time, so add a splash or water and a pinch of salt when reheating leftovers.
Notes
Brown rice variation: Add 2 cups cooked brown rice in place of the ¾ cup dry rice. You can reduce the simmer time to about 10 minutes since the rice is already cooked.
This soup is easy to make and really good. The tumeric adds something different. I’ve added it to my rotation but I find myself cooking it more often than other meals!
Found this looking for dinner recipes to help us finish out our Daniel Fast for the month and this soup was a hit! It was great as is (except we had to use cooked brown rice) but we added a few pinches of red pepper flakes and it was the perfect addition for our tastes to an already incredible dish! Hubby (who loves meat) says this one’s a keeper! Thanks for sharing!
SO good! I can’t wait to make it again. We added some rotisserie chicken because we aren’t vegetarians, but it would be just as delicious without!
I made this exactly as written and it was delicious I would like to make it again when I’m away from home and my stove, and only have my Instant Pot. Anyone have suggestions for how to make this in the Instant Pot?
Hi! You should be able to do the full recipe in an instant pot on Saute mode — not putting the lid on at all. You’ll just have to keep an eye on it since temperature control isn’t as fine tune.
this is literally one of the best soups I’ve ever made, and I’m REALLY picky about soup! I used jasmine rice and doubled the lemon zest, plus added a bunch of arugula and parsley I needed to use.
I make a lot of recipes I find online, and as a former professional chef, I almost always have to make adjustments. not this time! you guys got it just right. thank you!
We love to hear that! Thank you for making.
I fixed this on a snowy evening and followed the directions as given except I did cover the pot while rice was cooking. The white rice was a lovely change and the flavors of ginger and turmeric were wonderful.
My husband and I both thought it was delicious so I will definitely be fixing it again
So glad you enjoyed!
Wow, this soup is amazing! So flavorful and delicious. We are trying to eat more veggies. This one will go into the regular rotation.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is fantastic! First, while simmering, the aroma made my people flock to the kitchen. We were all remote working and schooling due to a frigid day in the midwest. This was exactly what we needed! It’s so cozy but also so fresh tasting. We can’t wait to have it for leftovers. :)
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this soup last night — it was SOOO good! I actually made 3 different soups to eat throughout the week and this one was the clear winner for both my husband and myself. I followed the recipe almost exactly except at the end I squeezed a little fresh lemon juice from the zested lemon into it, and it was great. Although, it was great either way.
Sonja and Alex, I actually had to pick up some white rice just for this recipe. I usually keep brown rice in the pantry — any tips for switching out the rice so that it’s more whole grain friendly?