Greek Chickpea Soup

Greek chickpea soup is flavorful, filling and so easy to make. This lemon chickpea soup uses pantry ingredients and is budget friendly. Made in just one pot, this meatless meal is packed with veggies and is naturally vegan, gluten free, dairy free and Whole30 plant based.

Course dinner, Soup

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Keyword chickpea soup vegan, greek chickpea soup, lemon chickpea soup

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 270kcal

Author Samantha Rowland

Ingredients

1 medium onion
3 medium celery stalks
2 medium carrots
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 cans chickpeas
1 cup dry brown rice (or orzo)
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 cups chopped kale
2 medium lemons, juiced (zest of 1 lemon)

Instructions

Chop the onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
Place a large pot over medium heat. When preheated, spray the pot with olive oil then add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes. Add carrots, celery and garlic to the onions and cook 4-5 minutes.
Add vegetable broth, water, spices, chickpeas and brown rice to a pot and turn the heat up to high. Cover and cook until boiling. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the rice is tender.
Note: if you are using orzo or pasta, bring the soup to a boil first then add the orzo/pasta and only cook for as long as the box indicates or the pasta will start to fall apart.
Chop the kale and when the rice is tender, turn off the heat and add the chopped kale. Stir well.
Zest a lemon and then add the juice to the soup. Stir well and taste the soup. Add the juice of another lemon if needed.

Notes

Top tips

You will need to add some water or broth to leftovers, as the rice or orzo will absorb the liquid as it sits in the fridge.
Start with the juice of just one lemon and taste for brightness. Depending on how big your lemons are and how juicy they are, you may only need 1 lemon.
If you want to thicken the soup, blend about 1/4 of the soup with an immersion blender or in a high speed blender.
Time saving tip: Chop your onion, celery and carrots in the food processor to chop them quickly. Use a garlic press to quickly chop the garlic.

Storing leftover lemon chickpea soup

Fridge – store any leftover soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I like to store individual servings in mason jars (they are easy to pour out into the pot for reheating).
Freezer – freeze leftover Greek chickpeas soup for up to 3 months. Be sure to let the soup cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe container to freeze. Be sure to put a label with the name, date and use by date on the bag/container.
- Tip: I like to use Soupercubes to portion out individual servings before freezing. This way when I’m ready for leftovers, I can simply heat up one portion at a time. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer safe bag or container.

Reheating leftovers

Stove – add ¼-1/2 cup of water to the soup when reheating (the rice will absorb most of the extra liquid when stored in the fridge). Reheat over medium low heat, covered until warmed through. You can reheat from frozen the same way, it will just take longer.
Microwave – cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can also reheat from frozen in the microwave, however it will take longer.

Nutrition