Italian chickpea soup is my go-to when I want all the flavor of an Italian dinner in something a little lighter. It’s loaded with chickpeas, Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion, all simmered together in one pot in a hearty tomato broth with rosemary, thyme, and sweet paprika. The chickpeas give it plenty of protein, so it fills you up without any meat. This chickpea soup recipe takes a little over an hour and makes about 10 cups, and I love it with a squeeze of lemon and some fresh Parmesan grated right on top.
A couple of years ago, our church had an Italian night potluck. I knew there would be lots of pasta, cheeses, and carbs, so I wanted to make something that was a lighter, healthier option for people. I made this Italian soup and added chickpeas instead of meat, which add some protein that is filling. I put a cheese grater next to the pot of soup so people could top it with Parmesan cheese if they wanted to. Many of the people were happy to find something that was Italian and still healthy, not full of carbs and calories. The only question I got was, “What’s the recipe?” That’s when I decided I needed to put it on the website.
Main Ingredients Needed For Italian Chickpea Soup
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas are what make this soup filling without any meat. Regular canned chickpeas work great. Just drain and rinse them before they go in the pot so you’re not adding the salty canning liquid. If you’d like to mix it up, swap one of the cans for white beans, drained and rinsed the same way.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: I reach for Yukon Golds because they have a buttery, creamy flavor compared to some other potatoes, and that’s perfect in this chickpea potato soup. Peel and dice them before they go in. Red potatoes work too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Vegetable Stock: The stock makes up most of your broth, so this is the one place I don’t skimp. I like to use an organic, high-quality stock, because sometimes the cheaper brands are a little waterier and you can taste it in the finished soup. Chicken broth works fine in its place.
- Crushed Tomatoes: One can of crushed tomatoes is what turns the stock into a hearty tomato broth. I don’t have a particular brand I stick with, so grab whatever your store carries.
- Onion, Celery, and Carrots: These three build the flavor base for the whole pot. Dice them small and about the same size so they soften evenly.
- Sweet Paprika, Rosemary, and Thyme: The dried rosemary and thyme give this soup its Italian flavor, and the sweet paprika gives the broth its warm reddish color. Be sure to grab sweet paprika, not smoked.
- Parmesan Cheese: This one’s optional, but it’s how I like to serve it. I grate it fresh instead of buying the store-bought, pre-shredded kind.
How To Make Italian Chickpea Soup
Italian chickpea soup all happens in one pot, and the photos below walk you through each stage. You’ll find every exact measurement and detail in the recipe card.
Tip: I poke the potatoes with a fork every 20 minutes or so. You don’t want them to get too mushy and dissolve into the soup. If the soup gets too thick or simmers down too much, add more stock. And if it’s cooking down faster than you’d like, rest the lid on the pot slightly cracked so less broth escapes as steam.
Easy Ways To Change Up This Chickpea Veggie Soup
This chickpea veggie soup is easy to make your own with whatever’s in your fridge, and these are the add-ins I’ve actually tried:
- Zucchini: Dice about a cup of zucchini into small pieces, about the same size as the carrots, and add it in with the onion, celery, and carrots.
- Spinach: Stir in about a cup of chopped spinach during the last few minutes of cooking, until it wilts.
- Kale or Swiss Chard: Either one works in place of the spinach.
- Some Heat: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the herbs so the heat infuses into the soup.
- Creamier Soup: Blend a portion of the soup with a stick blender and stir it back into the pot.
Making This Chickpea Soup Recipe Ahead for a Potluck
This chickpea soup recipe is one of my favorites to make ahead, and that’s exactly how I took it to our church’s Italian night. I made the soup on the stove the day before, let it cool, and refrigerated it overnight. The next day, warm it back up on the stove until it’s hot all the way through, then pour it into a preheated crockpot to carry to your gathering. Once you get there, set it on warm and it’ll hold right through the meal. That’s one less thing to do the day of, and you get to walk in with dinner already done. And if you’re serving it in smaller cups next to a big potluck spread, one batch stretches to about 9 or 10 servings.
Italian Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup onion, diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
- ½ cup carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes, canned
- 2 cans chickpeas, 15 ounces each, drained and rinsed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
- Fresh lemon wedges, optional
Instructions
Sauté the Vegetables
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.⅓ cup onion, ½ cup celery, ½ cup carrots
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.3 cloves garlic
Bloom the Spices
- Stir in the sweet paprika, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often so the spices don't scorch.1 teaspoon sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Simmer the Soup
- Add the potatoes, vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well.2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, 5 cups vegetable stock, 15 ounces crushed tomatoes, 2 cans chickpeas, Salt and pepper
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Keep it at a gentle simmer, not a hard bubble, so you don't lose too much broth.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve
- Ladle the soup into bowls and give each bowl a squeeze of fresh lemon, if you like.Fresh lemon wedges
- Top with chopped parsley.Fresh parsley
- Set out the Parmesan with a grater so everyone can grate a little fresh Parmesan on top of their soup if they want to.Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Zucchini: Add 1 cup diced zucchini with the onion, celery, and carrots. Chop it small, about the same size as the carrots, so it cooks evenly.
- Spinach: Stir in 1 cup chopped spinach during the last few minutes of cooking, just until it wilts.
- Kale or Swiss chard: Use either one in place of the spinach.
- Use red potatoes in place of the Yukon Golds.
- Use chicken broth instead of vegetable stock.
- Swap one can of the chickpeas for white beans, drained and rinsed.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the herbs so the heat infuses into the soup.
- Blend a portion of the soup with a stick blender and stir it back into the pot.
- Make the soup the day before, let it cool, and refrigerate overnight. Rewarm it on the stove until hot all the way through, then pour it into a preheated crockpot and set it on warm to serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze for 2 to 3 months. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of stock if it’s thickened.
- Serve with crusty bread, steamed rice, or a fresh green salad for a complete meal.
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Showing Hospitality With This Chickpea Potato Soup
An Italian Dinner Night is my favorite way to serve this soup for company, ladled into small bowls as a warm first course before something heartier like my crock pot chicken Parmesan or crock pot Tuscan chicken, so there’s something warm to start with while everybody settles in at the table. If you’d rather have pasta on the table, a quick pot of Italian sausage pasta sauce over noodles works too, and with the soup made the day before, that sauce is the only thing you’ll be cooking once your guests arrive. Set out a basket of Italian cheesy pull apart bread for everybody to tear into, and end the night with Italian almond biscotti and a pot of coffee so the conversation can keep going a while longer. I love a menu with room for everybody, a bowl of soup for the friend who’s watching what she eats and plenty more for the one who came hungry, because Romans 15:7 tells us to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, and that kind of welcome shows up in the little choices we make for our guests. Keep the cheese grater on the table, pull up an extra chair or two, and let everybody help themselves.