A Couple Cooks

Chickpea Soup with Rice

January 17, 2022

This chickpea soup recipe with rice and lemon is bright and restorative! Cozy up to a bowl of this satisfyingly healthy, easy soup.

Chickpea Soup

Here’s a cozy soup that’s made of healthy veggies that taste bright and restorative: this Chickpea Soup with Rice! It’s similar to a chicken rice soup, except it’s made with plant-powered chickpeas instead. Tender grains of rice make for a satisfying thick body to the turmeric and ginger-infused broth, with a punch of lemon zest to brighten each spoonful. It’s got the cozy nostalgia of canned soup, but it’s fresh and homemade! This healthy soup made a splash over here: the whole family loves it.

Ingredients for this chickpea soup recipe

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
  • Spinach (or other greens like kale or chard)
  • Fresh ginger root
  • Garlic
  • Chickpeas
  • Long grain white rice
  • Olive oil
  • Vegetable broth
  • Ground turmeric, garlic powder, salt and pepper
  • Lemon zest
Chickpea Soup

Secret seasoning blend for the broth

This chickpea rice soup has a secret blend of seasonings with a few unexpected elements. Because this soup is vegan, it’s difficult to bring in the savory flavor you expect of a soup broth. We lifted a few tricks from our Easy Vegetable Soup and used them here. Here are a few of the unexpected ingredients that bring big flavor:

  • Fresh ginger root: A hint of fresh ginger adds a pop of flavor here! Don’t go without it. (We can’t really explain it, but it works.)
  • Ground turmeric: Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that’s part of the ginger family, and has an earthy, almost mustard-like flavor. Turmeric has some potential restorative properties and adds a nice golden color and zingy flavor to the broth. (Watch out though, it stains!) 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.)

Storage info: rice expands in soup!

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.
Chickpea Soup

What to serve with chickpea rice soup

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:

More healthy and vegan soup recipes

Vegetarian and vegan eating is easy when you make soup! Here are some of our favorite healthy soups and vegan soup recipes to try:

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Chickpea Soup

Chickpea Soup with Rice

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 13 minutes
  • Cook Time: 22 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This chickpea soup recipe with rice and lemon is bright and restorative! Cozy up to a bowl of this satisfyingly healthy, easy soup.

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Soup

Keywords: Chickpea soup, chickpea soup recipe, rice soup

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