This vegetarian Lemon Chickpea Soup is deliciously light and lemony. A simple one-pot soup of tender vegetables, pasta and chickpeas is topped with generous amounts of grated parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley. Recipe serves 8 in about 45 minutes.

Lemon Chickpea Soup

Is it ever not soup season?

Okay so maybe I take a break over summer (unless gazpacho is on the menu) but until then, I still enjoy soup throughout most of spring. Because of Michigan’s unpredictable weather, snow is a possibility still in April. On the day I made this, it was dark and stormy and this golden vegetarian number was the bright spot of the gloomy yet cozy afternoon.

It’s a simple soup recipe, sauté the classic trio of veggies i.e. carrot, celery and onion in garlic infused olive oil. Add thyme, chickpeas and broth before simmering. I thicken the soup up by pureeing a few ladles of chickpeas – this also adds amazing texture. Lastly add in the pasta (which will also help thicken the soup) and once tender, squeeze in the juice of a small lemon. So easy.

Lemon Chickpea Soup

This was an instant favorite. Light and bright with lemon, addictive earthy flavor and incredible texture. Can you tell I love this soup?

Lemon Chickpea Soup ingredients

To Make This Lemon Chickpea Soup You Will Need:

  • garlic infused olive oil
  • celery
  • carrot
  • yellow onion
  • kosher salt
  • white pepper
  • fresh thyme
  • cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
  • low-sodium vegetable broth
  • water
  • pasta
  • lemon juice
  • grated parmesan cheese – for serving
  • minced fresh parsley – for serving

garlic infused olive oil, carrot, celery and onion in dutch oven

In a dutch oven or soup pot, measure and add 2 teaspoons garlic infused olive oil, 1 diced medium onion, 1 diced medium carrot and 2 diced short stalks of celery with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

sautted veggies with thyme and white pepper

Once tender, add in 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper.

sauteed veggies and thyme

Stir and cook 1 minute.

chickpeas added to sauteed veggies

Add in 1 (15 ounce) can drained and rinsed chickpeas.

pouring broth and water into pot

Pour in 1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium vegetable broth and 2 cups water.

stir and heat over medium

Stir and bring to a simmer.

transfer chickpeas and veggies to food processor

After the soup simmers for about 10 minutes, strain out a few spoonfuls of chick peas and veggies and add a splash of the broth.

pulse into a paste

Pulse until smooth. Doing this will give this soup body by thickening it a bit.

add pasta and paste to soup

Add the purred beans and 8 ounces dried pasta (I’m using cavatelli) and bring to a simmer. Cook the pasta until tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. 

simmer on medium to medium-high until pasta is al dente

Cooking the pasta in the soup will also help thicken up the soup, so I usually add another cup of water if the soup is too thick.

season with kosher salt

Squeeze in the juice of 1 small lemon (or more to taste) and season with kosher salt to your liking (for me it was 2-1/2 teaspoons) and white pepper.

Lemon Chickpea Soup topped with parmesan and parsley.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and minced parsley. I also love to serve this with sourdough bread.

white bowl with Lemon Chickpea Soup

This lemon chickpea soup is a feel good soup.

A soup I crave. 

And I absolutely love the lemon, chickpea and parmesan combo and the texture of the soup is a 10 out 10.

#chefskiss

Lemon Chickpea Soup with spoon in bowl.

Enjoy! And if you give this recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

spoonful of Lemon Chickpea Soup

Lemon Chickpea Soup
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Yield: 8 servings

Lemon Chickpea Soup

This vegetarian Lemon Chickpea Soup is deliciously light and lemony. A simple one-pot soup of tender vegetables, pasta and chickpeas is topped with generous amounts of grated parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley. Yields 8 (1-cup) servings.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons garlic infused olive oil
  • 2 short celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 heaping teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 8 ounces short pasta, like cavatelli
  • 1 small lemon, juiced
  • minced parsley, for garnish
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

Equipment

Instructions 

  • In a dutch oven or soup pot, measure and add the oil, celery, carrot and onion with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir and heat over medium to medium-low, until tender. About 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add in the thyme and white pepper. Stir and cook 1 minute.
  • To that add the chickpeas, broth and water. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 mintues. Use a slotted spoon to strain out some of the chickpeas and vegetables and add to a mini food processor. Add a little broth and puree until smooth.
  • Add the puree and the pasta to the soup. Stir and bring back to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender. About 12 to 15 minutes. Add more water (1 cup or so) if the soup thickens too much.
  • Squeeze in the juice of a small lemon (or more if desired) and season with kosher salt to taste. For me it was 2½ teaspoons.
  • Ladle soup into bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and minced fresh parsely.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 79kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 124mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g
Author: Laurie McNamara
Course: Soups, Stews & Chilis
Cuisine: American