Chickpea and Bean Soup
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This deliciously creamy chickpea and bean soup is simmered in a lightly spicy, flavorful broth. It’s a simple recipe made with pantry staples, but it’s satisfying, protein-packed, and downright delicious.
It’s truly one of those soups you can’t stop eating.
This is the time of year to show ourselves some love with a big, warming bowl of soup, as nothing is better than healthy, comfort food when it’s cold and gloomy outside.
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And here I am with a beautiful chickpea and bean soup recipe that is a hug in a bowl.
I’ve already shared a chickpea soup recipe and creamy bean soup before, and this one is similar: pantry staples, super easy to make, and incredibly delicious!
The recipe combines a simple flavor base of onion, garlic, carrot, and celery with convenient canned beans and chickpeas. Red pepper flakes add heat while dried herbs, fresh parsley, and lemon juice build flavor.
Plus, it’s super flexible, and I’m sure you’ll love it even more! You can customize it with your favorite grains, veggies, or herbs, making this simple recipe a great staple for busy weeknight dinners.
Serve it with crispy bread, from Italian easy bread rolls and stovetop croutons to flavorful crostini. Everyone will love it, and you can call it dinner!
This is the chickpea and bean soup recipe to add to your weekly dinner rotation!
List of the ingredients
- Chickpeas
- Beans
- Soffritto (garlic, onion, carrots, celery)
- Herbs (thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley)
- Red pepper flakes/chili flakes
- Olive oil
- Vegetable broth
- Lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
How to make chickpea and bean soup
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Add one can of beans and chickpeas to a blender and puree until smooth. Drain the other can of beans and chickpeas and set aside.
- Saute onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes.
Note: Blending part of the legumes thickens the broth, so you’ll get the best of both worlds: fluffy, soft beans and chickpeas simmered in a creamy broth.
- Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and herbs. Cook for another minute.
- Add the pureed and drained beans and chickpeas to the pot. Stir in the broth and seasoning, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Finish with lemon juice and chopped parsley, season to taste if needed, and serve with crusty bread, Italian crostini, or croutons. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Chickpea and bean soup ingredients
Flavor base: We start with onion, carrots, celery, and plenty of garlic sauteed in olive oil.
Beans: I love cannellini beans, but you can use any white beans (navy beans, Great Northern beans, or lima beans) or pinto, azuki, and kidney beans if you wish. Canned beans are convenient, but dried beans are an excellent option if you have time to presoak and cook them.
Chickpeas: Either canned chickpeas or home-cooked chickpeas work here. Cooking chickpeas on the stove takes 1 ½ to 2 hours and about 17 minutes in the instant pot.
Herbs & Chili flakes: Convenient dried herbs such as thyme, basil, and rosemary make the soup hearty and flavorful. Chili/red pepper flakes add the right amount of heat (reduce or skip them if serving the soup to kids), while parsley has a fresh, aromatic flavor (yep, parsley is still my favorite herb!).
Broth: I use low-sodium vegetable broth, but you can use your favorite veggie or chicken broth. Adjust the seasoning accordingly since some broth can be pretty salty.
Lemon juice: It brings everything together; don’t skip it.
Salt & pepper: I recommend tasting and adjusting the seasoning if needed before serving.
Easy ways to customize chickpea and bean soup?
This delicious, simple soup is a breeze to customize with different ingredient swaps to make it your own. Here are a few ideas:
- More veggies! Carrots, potatoes, zucchini, peas, spinach, and kale are great, nutrient-dense add-ins.
- Add grains. This chickpea bean soup would be delicious with whole grains, such as cooked barley, brown rice, quinoa, or your favorite pasta shapes, such as orzo or elbow.
- Jazz it up! Stir in a generous tablespoon of pesto, such as my sun-dried tomato paste, arugula pesto, spinach pesto, or parsley pesto. Finish with grated parmesan cheese if you don’t keep it vegan.
STORAGE TIPS & LEFTOVERS
Chickpea and bean soup leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days, making it a great meal prep option for the entire week. It freezes very well, too.
To freeze it, let the soup cool completely and then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or multiple containers. Freeze for up to 2 months.
MORE chickpea and bean RECIPES for you!
- The best white bean soup
- White bean stew
- Butter bean soup
- White bean and kale soup
- Chickpea spinach salad
- Pinto bean soup
- White bean & tomato soup
- Tomato chickpea soup
And for all the chickpea and bean lovers out there, don’t forget to check out my vegan soup recipes here and my best bean recipes here. : )
Let me know if you make this chickpea and bean soup or if you have any questions! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!
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Chickpea and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, sliced or diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper/chili flakes, or to taste
- 2 cans (15 oz each) Beans (I prefer cannellini, but you can use your fav beans)
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas
- 3 cups (720 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Instructions
- Add one can of chickpeas and one can of beans (including their liquid) to a blender or food processor. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender. Whizz until smooth and set aside. Drain the other two cans and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and cook (stirring occasionally) until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, dried herbs, and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute, until it smells fragrant.
- Add drained and pureed beans, drained and pureed chickpeas, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add extra broth or water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Turn the heat off.
- Finish with chopped parsley, lemon juice, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if you wish. Taste and make sure you're happy with the overall flavor; feel free to add more lemon juice or seasoning to make the flavor pop.
- Divide into bowls and serve with crusty bread, black pepper focaccia, crostini, or croutons (optional but delicious). Finish with some freshly grated parmesan for more savory flavor, if you don't keep it vegan. Enjoy!
This soup was delicious! I was missing a few ingredients but it still came out so tasty. I had only one can of cannellini beans so I blended two cans of chickpeas and put the cannellini beans in whole. I was out of celery so omitted that. Out of garlic so I used garlic powder. I threw in a few handfuls of spinach at the end. I made homemade croutons and they went wonderfully with the soup. Thank you for this great recipe that I was able to make with pantry staples!
You’re so welcome, Kelly! I loved reading your feedback, and it’s so appreciated. x
such a great recipe! approved by non vegan husband. thank you!
That’s wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing, Alice. : )
Thanks for the recipe but please do not use the term sofrito (this is the correct spelling) for this. This is typical cultural appropriation. Sofrito is a term used in Puerto Rico for Puerto Rican recipes and never includes carrots nor celery.
Hi Charlie! I used the term “soffrito,” not sofrito. I’m Italian, and in Italy, we use soffritto for soups and bolognese sauce. It’s made with onion, carrots, celery, and sometimes garlic. It’s a must for many recipes.
But this flavour base has many variations and differs slightly from nation to nation; you’re right. Originally, the preparation was related to the Mediterranean area (Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese cooking) and eventually to the Caribbean. There’s also a Spanish book that mentioned “sofrito” in 1300 already. : )