Cooler weather means that soup season is here, and to kick it off, start with this Tuscan chickpea soup recipe. Hearty, rustic, and utterly delicious, the combination of potatoes, chickpeas, and kale will fill your belly and your soul.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclaimer for details.
Table of Contents
My friends made this soup for us, and my hubby and I were instantly obsessed! I asked her for the recipe, and she was kind enough to share it with us. (I did make some tweaks to make it a bit more hearty, like the addition of potatoes.) I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Warm: Potato chickpea soup is a cozy and warm way to fuel up for lunch or dinner.
- Budget-friendly: Made from simple, cost-effective ingredients, you won’t go broke making this chickpea soup recipe.
- Meal-prep friendly: Make it ahead, and it freezes beautifully, perfect for meal prep or saving you time on busy days.
Nutrition For Mental Health
One cup of kale contains 1 gram of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamin K, and C. Kale also contains smaller amounts of manganese, calcium, riboflavin, folate, potassium, magnesium, iron, and vitamins A and B6. An epidemiological study of US adults found that vitamin K intake is associated with a lower odds of depressive symptoms.
Ingredients + Substitutions
You might have some questions about the ingredients or what you can use instead. In this section, I cover what you need to know about the most important components of this garbanzo kale soup.
- Chickpeas: I cooked chickpeas in my Instant Pot ahead of time and used those in this recipe. However, the amount of garbanzo beans called for in this recipe equates to one 15-ounce can of chickpeas. So, if you opt for canned chickpeas, just make sure to strain and rinse them thoroughly.
- Bouillon: This soup has a few big flavor determiners. One of them is the bouillon. I highly recommend using this exact vegetable bouillon paste for the best flavor. Alternatively, you could use vegetable bouillon cubes or veggie broth (though the taste will be different).
- Spike: This is a prepackaged seasoning blend called Spike. It is so good and packed with flavor. There is no substitute for it.
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Tuscan Chickpea Soup Recipe
This simple soup comes together quickly, making it take no time at all for your meal prep or after a crazy-busy day. Soon, you and your family will be gobbling it up by the spoonful!
- Add oil to soup pot (or Dutch Oven) and heat. Once the pot is warm, turn down to medium-low and add onion and garlic. Sauté low and slow for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently until onions start to caramelize a bit.
- Pour in water and use a wooden spoon to scrape the onion fond from the bottom of pan so it dissolves into the broth. Add bouillon, Spike, potato, and chickpeas to the pot and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally as it cooks for about 15 minutes.
Would you like to save this?
- Scoop half of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Then, return to the pot.
- Add kale, pepper (and salt if needed), and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the kale is soft.
- Serve with your favorite bread and salad.
Servings Ideas
You can certainly enjoy my chickpea kale soup recipe on its own, though serving it with other items can make it an even fuller meal. If you love having bread with your soup, try my rosemary garlic bread or classic artisan loaf. Want soup and salad? My arugula spinach salad or kale harvest salad are the perfect match. When having guests over, you can make a complete spread that includes desserts like my pumpkin popsicles, pumpkin pie donuts, and banana scones. Refreshing lemon water or grapefruit water are great beverages to enjoy alongside this meal!
Storage Tips
Be sure to let the soup cool to room temperature before storing it away. You can keep it in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days, though freezing it will keep it for 3 months. I like putting it in separately portioned containers, making it easy to thaw and serve when needed.
FAQ
Chickpeas are incredibly healthy, and since they contain loads of fiber, they’re naturally filling. When you add them to soup, they can really help you feel sustained.
Yes, you can! As a matter of fact, making my chickpea kale soup recipe is an ideal way to start off, turning chickpeas into a robust and rustic soup everyone will love.
Chickpeas pair well with cumin, garlic, paprika, and onion powder, though I love using Spike. It adds such incredible flavors and is perfect with this recipe for adding a well-rounded and balanced flavor profile.
If you tried this Chickpea Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Chickpea Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, more as needed
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut in half, thinly sliced, cut in half again
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups of water
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium vegetable bouillon paste
- 2 tablespoons Spike
- 1 large yellow potato, diced
- 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, cooked (or 1 15oz can chickpeas)
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, washed and chopped (or similar kale)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste, I find I don’t need salt with the bouillon and spike
Instructions
- Add oil to soup pot (or Dutch Oven) and heat. Once pot is warm, turn down to medium-low and add onion and garlic. Sauté low and slow for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently until onions start to caramelize a bit.
- Pour in water and use a wooden spoon to scrape the onion fond from the bottom of pan so it dissolves into the water. Add bouillon, Spike, potato, and chickpeas to the pot and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally as it cooks for about 15 minutes.
- Scoop half of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Then, return to the pot.
- Add kale, pepper (and salt if needed), and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the kale is soft.
- Serve with your favorite bread and salad.
Notes
Be sure to let the soup cool to room temperature before storing it away. You can keep it in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 5 days, though freezing it will keep it for 3 months. I like putting it in separately portioned containers, making it easy to thaw and serve when needed.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
We’d love to see! Tag @raepublic on Instagram!
Reference
Zhang, Y., Tan, W., Xi, X., Yang, H., Zhang, K., Li, S., Chen, X., & Zuo, H. (2023). Association between vitamin K intake and depressive symptoms in US adults: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2018. Frontiers in nutrition, 10, 1102109. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1102109
