Nisha Vora

5 FROM 63 VOTES

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person holding bowl and dipping spoon into chickpea soup on a table.

This bright and fresh yet indulgent Lemon Chickpea Soup is like chicken noodle soup’s fun, hip cousin! With fresh lemon juice and dill plus a creamy chickpea puree, it’s comforting and rich yet also packed with plant protein and fiber to keep you full!

Prep Time:

20minutes MINS

Cook Time:

35minutes MINS

Total Time:

55minutes MINS

Course:

DINNER, SOUP

Cuisine:

NEW AMERICAN

Diet

Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Serving size:

4

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 diced

▢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 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 put it 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, 8 to 10 minutes, deglazing the pot with a splash of broth if a lot of food sticks.

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.

Add the rinsed rice and toss to coat for 1 minute, deglazing with a splash of broth as needed. Add one can of drained chickpeas, plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Pour in the broth, followed by half of the chopped dill. Bring to a boil.

Cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, 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 as needed.

Stir the Chickpea Puree into the soup, then add the chopped spinach. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, 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.

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).