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For a flavorful soup that’s quick and pantry friendly, turn a couple of cans of beans into a super simple wholesome Chickpea Garlic Soup. It’s got just 3 ingredients plus some optional embellishments; this soup is as easy to make as it is delicious.
This might just be the perfect soup for making after a long day and you just need a quick and healthy dinner. It’s healthy, comforting, easy to make, and will fill your tummy with good for you things.
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How to make
I have {affiliate link} microwave as well as stove top directions in the recipe card for this vegetarian garbanzo bean soup.
The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.
Canned chickpeas, garbanzo beans, or whatever you prefer calling them, are so convenient, and you can stock them in your pantry for those nights where you just have to get dinner on the table but have no idea what to make.
The can of beans is actually two ingredients in one here. Aquafaba, the bean liquid in the can, provides body, silky texture, and flavor. You’ll take the whole cans, beans, liquid, and all and heat them with the broth, garlic, and black pepper to soften it all up.
Blending half the beans after cooking thickens the soup. You can blend them in the {affilaite links} blender or use an immersion blender. Add the blended soup back to the pot, and heat up a little more.
The soup’s done at this point – a simple brothy creamy vegan chickpea soup.
But there are a couple of additions that I like to help bump it up even more.
First change, add in a big handful of chopped kale. Pop that back in the microwave or on the heat on the stove to just wilt the kale a bit and make it easier to eat.
If you want the kale really soft, heat it for longer. And if you’re fine with some chew to the kale, just a short time on the additional heat will do.
And the second change is to top it with sour cream, Greek yogurt, or canned coconut milk adding creaminess and tartness to the soup.
Oh, and don’t forget the lemon wedges to perk the simple blended chickpea soup all up!
Is chickpea soup good for you?
Yes, this soup is very healthy. With lots of vitamins, mineral, protein, and fiber. It’s nice and filling for the nutritional punch that it has with not too many calories.
Check out this recipe for Fennel Soup for another healthy delicious meal.
You can also serve a soup and sandwich combo with this Vegan Egg Salad for more chickpea fun!
Storage of leftovers
Let any leftovers cool to room temperature before storing. You can keep it tightly covered in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave, or in a pot on the stove over low to medium heat.
To keep the soup longer, you can freeze it up to 3 months. I love those {affiliate link} silicone trays for freezing soups in individual servings.
Freezing and reheating soups & stews
Like so many soups, this is a good choice for meal prep and it’s freezer friendly. I get asked about storage a lot, so I thought I’d share a bit more on the subject.
Since soups, stews, and chilis often make a generous amount, it’s convenient to stock your freezer with the leftovers & reheat them later.
To freeze them properly, first make sure to cool the pot. It’s tempting to put the whole pot in the fridge right away, but don’t do it. It can increase the fridge’s internal temperature to unsafe levels for the other food in there.
Let the pot cool on the countertop to bring the temperature down. At that point, you can transfer it safely to the freezer.
For faster cooling, divide the leftovers into smaller storage containers to allow the heat to dissipate more quickly.
To reheat, first thaw them in the fridge overnight, then simmer gently on the stove in a heavy bottomed pot. Or reheat in the microwave.
While most soups store just fine, if they contain pasta or dairy (plant based or traditional) they won’t freeze well in general.
The pasta will soak up the liquid and can turn mushy and bloated. The dairy may curdle as it freezes.
The best practice is to make the soup and freeze it without the pasta or dairy. When you’ve thawed and heated the dish, stir in the pasta or dairy and heat through.
Additional changes to the recipe
The soup is a great basic budget friendly soup. Try it first as written, then go hog wild with whatever changes you want.
Some ideas of vegetables you can add in are celery, potatoes, roasted garlic, sweet potato, or sauteed mushrooms.
If you don’t want to use kale, but like the idea of greens, you can use many other greens in its place. Spinach, escarole, arugula, and Swiss chard are just some examples of nutritious and delicious greens you can use as substitutes.
Feel free to add in lots of fresh or dried herbs and spices like parsley, rosemary, nutritional yeast, or curry.
Add in some proteins like lentils, sausage, or shredded chicken.
Toss in some cooked pasta or rice.
Garnish with limes instead of lemons. And top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Can I use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder?
Yes, use 4 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped. You can sauté it first, or simply add it to the cooking liquid and cook it in with the soup.
Other canned chickpea recipes
I just love canned chickpeas. They’re so good for you, and nice vegan protein, and they are affordable. Check out some of my favorite chickpea recipes!
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Recipe
Chickpea garlic soup
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15.5 ounces each) chickpeas or garbanzo beans
- 2 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large kale leaf chopped (a large handful)
- ¼ cup sour cream plain Greek yogurt, or canned coconut milk
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Microwave directions:
- Bring beans, canned bean liquid, broth, garlic, and pepper to simmer in a large microwave safe container on high for 10 minutes.
- Process ½ of soup in blender until smooth or use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup.
- Add smooth soup back to bowl.
- Add kale if desired and microwave on high an additional 1-2 minutes to soften the kale.
- Stir in sour cream if you want it creamier; taste for salt and pepper.
- Serve with lemon wedges
Stove top directions:
- Bring beans, their liquid, broth, garlic powder, and pepper to simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Process half of the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Return smooth soup to the pot and bring to a brief simmer. Add chopped kale if desired, and stir until kale is wilted. Off heat, stir in sour cream. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Adrienne Grace
I want to try this tomorrow night, but from dried garbanzos in my InstantPot. This looks like such a great, easy meal!
Adrienne Grace
Update: I did this in my InstantPot with dried garbanzos and added a few more things I had in the veggie drawer (carrots, onions, celery, and a bell pepper), as well as a can of diced tomatoes, because — why not? It was delicious! And the sour cream really does add a nice richness, so if you’ve got it around, use it! (I bet Greek yogurt might do the trick, too.)