This chickpea rice and lemon soup recipe is light and restful! Settle in with a bowl of this easy and healthy soup.
Here’s a comforting soup made from wholesome veggies with a vibrant and restorative flavor: this Chickpea Soup with Rice! It’s similar to chicken rice soup except it’s made with plant-based chickpeas. Tender grains of rice give the turmeric-ginger-infused broth a satisfyingly thick body, with a sprinkling of lemon zest to brighten each spoonful. It’s got the cozy nostalgia of a canned soup, but it’s fresh and homemade! This healthy soup has caused a stir here: the whole family loves it.
Ingredients for this chickpea soup recipe
Chickpea Soup can be prepared in many ways: Try our Italian Chickpea Soup (noodles and that) or this spicy Moroccan chickpea stew. But of course, with our love for this ingredient, we couldn’t stop there! This chickpea soup combines the convenience of canned chicken rice soup with the freshness of lemon Greek rice soup. Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Yellow onion, carrot and celery
- spinach (or other vegetables like kale or chard)
- fresh ginger root
- Garlic
- Chickpeas
- White long grain rice
- olive oil
- vegetable soup
- Ground turmeric, garlic powder, salt and pepper
- Lemon peel
Secret Broth Spice Blend
This chickpea rice soup has a secret blend of spices with some unexpected elements. Because this soup is vegan, it’s difficult to deliver the savory flavor you expect from a soup stock. We picked up a few tricks from our easy vegetable soup and applied them here. Here are some of the unexpected ingredients that bring great flavor:
- Fresh ginger root: A touch of fresh ginger adds a splash of flavor here! Don’t deprive yourself of it. (We can’t really explain it, but it works.)
- ground turmeric: Turmeric is a bright yellow spice that belongs to the ginger family and has an earthy, almost mustard-like taste. Turmeric has potentially strengthening properties, giving the broth a beautiful golden color and tangy flavor. (Warning, it will stain!) Grab a jar and use the rest with these turmeric recipes.
- Lemon peel: It’s optional, but it adds a nice shine to the soup without making it acidic. (It’s similar to Greek lemon soup, but not as intense.)
Storage Instructions: Rice swells in soup!
A few key tips for storing this Chickpea Soup with Rice! The rice will expand in the soup over time, which is to be expected. Here’s what you need to know:
- Add some water when reheating leftovers. This soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, but you will notice that the rice will expand during storage. Add a little water and a pinch of salt when reheating to give it a soup-like texture.
- The soup can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Again, you may need to add a little extra water or broth as you reheat.
Can you use leftover rice in the soup?
Yes! You can add leftover cooked rice to this soup. Just add 2 cups of cooked rice instead of the ¾ cup of dry rice. You can reduce the cooking time to around 10 minutes since the rice is already cooked!
What to serve with chickpea rice soup
Wanna make a meal out of this? This chickpea soup with rice makes an easy recipe for dinner or a simple lunch. Here are some ideas what you can combine it with:
More healthy and vegan soup recipes
Eating vegetarian and vegan is easy when you make soup! Here are some of our favorite healthy soups and vegan soup recipes to try:
The description
This chickpea rice and lemon soup recipe is light and restful! Settle in with a bowl of this easy and healthy soup.
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 Celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (1 inch nub)
- 3 chopped garlic cloves
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, shared
- 8 cups vegetable soup
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¾ cup long grain white rice
- 3 cups baby spinach (or chopped veggies like kale or chard)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (half a lemon)
- Prepare the vegetables: Chop the onion. Peel and dice the carrots. chop celery Peel the ginger with a spoon, then chop the ginger. Chop the garlic. Drain the chickpeas.
- Prepare soup: In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chickpeas and ½ tsp salt and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add vegetable broth, garlic powder, turmeric, 1 tsp salt, rice and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Stir in the spinach and lemon zest and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve warm (garnish with grated Parmesan, if you like). 3 days in the refrigerator; Rice will absorb broth over time, so add a little water and a pinch of salt when reheating leftovers.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Soup
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: Chickpea Soup, Recipe for Chickpea Soup, Rice Soup
