Lemony Chickpea Soup

This lemony chickpea soup is so warming and flavorful! The broth is infused with fennel bulb and sumac, then drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with fresh herbs. Vegan and Gluten-free.

Why You’ll Love This

I love brothy soups! This lemony chickpea soup is no exception. We have more than 100 satisfying soup recipes on the blog, most of which are from our vegetarian restaurant, including this one!

The broth feels so healing and nourishing. It’s vegan and gluten-free, and just what the doctor ordered on a cold winter’s night.

I love making this with fennel bulb, but know that celery is always a good substitute! Sumac infuses the soup with tangy, earthy goodness! The soup is so bright and cheery, the aroma alone uplifts.

Ingredients

• Chickpeas: Use dry chickpeas, soaked for 8-24 hours. The flavor and texture are so much better! Or you can sub canned.
• Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice infuses the soup with vibrant flavor.
• Yellow onion, fennel bulb, celery, and garlic cloves: These aromatic veggies provide a savory and flavorful base for the soup. Fennel adds such a unique taste that we love, however you can sub with extra celery.
• Vegetable broth: Try our Homemade Vegetable Stock for even more umami and depth of flavor. Because this is a brothy soup, the quality of the broth really matters!
• Cumin, coriander, sumac, dried thyme or dill, and bay leaves: The sumac is optional, but gives the soup a tangy, earthy flavor that is so delicious!
• Chili flakes: Or use Aleppo or Urfa Biber (Turkish chili flakes). These are optional, but add a lovely, subtle heat to the soup just before serving.
• Garnish: Fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley (or both, which is even better!), olive oil, or Zhoug. Mint, fresh thyme, oregano, black pepper, and lemon zest are all lovely too.

How to Make Lemony Chickpea Soup

Step one: First, remember to soak the dry beans in a large bowl of water for 8-24 hours. If you are using canned beans, move on to the next step.

Step two: Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Once warm, add onions and sauté 5 minutes while stirring.

Add fennel, celery, and cloves garlic, and stir. Reduce heat to medium, sautéing the aromatics 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add broth, water, chickpeas, salt, cumin, coriander, sumac, bay leaves, and dried thyme. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low for 25-35 minutes, or until chickpeas are tender.

Step three: Remove the lid and add lemon juice. Taste and adjust for salt. Add the optional chili flakes.

The lemon and sumac give the chickpea soup life, waking it up with a delicious brightness. Perfect for winter.

Step four: Divide soup among bowls and garnish with olive oil or zhoug and a generous amount of fresh herbs. The zhoug sauce, with its hint of cardamom, really elevates this Brothy Chickpea Soup to its highest potential – so give it a try if you have time!

Chef’s Tips

1. Use dry chickpeas: It is really easy to use dried chickpeas in this recipe, as long as you remember to soak them overnight. They have the best flavor and texture!
2. Use homemade broth: It never hurts to make a large batch of our Homemade Vegetable Stock to keep on hand for recipes like this. Homemade broth adds so much more flavor to brothy soups!
3. Add more veggies! Carrots, cauliflower, or Yukon gold potatoes would all make nice additions to this soup. You could also toss a handful of dark, leafy greens, like spinach, into the pot near the end of cooking.
4. Add more protein: The chickpeas add a healthy dose of protein, but if you’re not vegan and you’d like to add even more substance, you could easily add chicken to the soup!
5. Add orzo: Make a Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup by adding orzo to the pot for a heartier Mediterranean-inspired recipe! You could also do this with white rice.
6. Make this in the Instant Pot: Soak the dried chickpeas beforehand, then cook the soup for 12 minutes on the high setting. Nice and quick, plus it keeps the fennel in tact!

Storage

Cool the soup, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 4 days. Simply reheat leftovers on the stovetop until warmed through, or reheat in the microwave. You can also store Lemony Chickpea Soup in the freezer for 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this brothy soup with warm, crusty bread like our Sourdough, or with our Homemade Pita Bread. Or to create a sort of stew, serve the soup over a bowl of cooked grains like quinoa or brown rice!

You can also serve this healthy soup with one of our favorite salads, like Roasted Cauliflower Salad, Kale Salad, or Rainbow Salad.

Hope you enjoy this easy Lemony Chickpea Soup recipe!

xoxo

Sylvia

More Brothy soup Recipes you may enjoy

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Vegan Minestrone Soup

The Best Harira Soup

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