This delicious vegan chickpea vegetable chowder is easy to make in 30 minutes for a healthy, comforting bowl of soup.

Hand using a spoon to take a spoonful of vegan chickpea soup from a bowl.

This simple but delicious soup has been a reader-favourite at Running on Real Food for years. It’s easy to make and features wholesome ingredients like carrots, celery and potato but is always a hit!

The secret to this dairy-free vegetable chowder is pureed chickpeas! Along with potatoes, they add the perfect, creamy texture to the soup without the need for cream or other heavy ingredients.

You’ll love this soup any time of year. It’s light and fresh enough for the warmer months but satisfying during the winter too, especially served with a big slice of bread for dipping!

Why You’ll Love this Soup

  • Quick and easy: Ready in under 30 minutes with everyday pantry ingredients.
  • Dietary: Vegan (dairy-free), gluten-free, oil-free and sugar-free.
  • Nutrition: Low in fat with 7 grams of protein per serving.
  • Satisfying, delicious and perfect for a warm meal any time of year.
  • Perfect “clean out the fridge” recipe.
  • Great for meal prep as it stores well in the fridge.
  • Budget-friendly.

Ingredient Notes

Visual of ingredients needed for making chickpea chowder soup recipe. Each ingredient is labelled with text.

A complete list of ingredients with amounts and full instructions is located in the printable recipe card below. This section covers ingredient and substitution considerations.

  • Potato: You can use russet or Yukon gold potato. This recipe can also be made with sweet potato.
  • Broth: You can use any store-bought or homemade broth. Carton broth or bouillon cubes or powder work. I usually use Better than Bouillon.
  • Chickpea: For convenience, canned works great here but you can cook your own from scratch and use those too. You’ll need about 2.5 cups of cooked chickpeas or 1 19 oz can. The amount doesn’t have to exact though so if you only have 2 14 oz cans or 1 28 oz can, that works.
  • Onion: White or yellow onion works.
  • Veggies: Aside from the potato, you’ll need celery and carrot.
  • Herbs: For simplicity, the recipe calls for dried thyme and oregano but you can substitute 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs if you prefer.

Step-by-Step with Photos

Step 1. Saute the Veggies & Herbs

Start by adding the celery, onion and garlic to a large soup pot with 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth. Saute over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until softened.

Quick Note: If you prefer to use olive oil to cook the veggies, you can use 1 tbsp oil instead of 1/4 cup of broth.

Celery, onion and garlic cooking in a soup pot.

Stir in the thyme and oregano and cook for a couple more minutes. You can add a little pinch of salt and pepper for seasoning here as well.

Adding a small dish of dried herbs to celery and onion cooking in a pot.

Step 2. Cook the Soup

Add everything but the lemon and bring the soup to a light simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer the soup uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Potato, celery, carrots and chickpeas cooking in broth in a large soup pot.

Step 3. Blend Half the Soup

Carefully scoop about half of the soup out and into a blender. Blend until very smooth and creamy.

Pour the blended portion back into the pot and stir to combine with the unblended soup. You can also blend all of the soup if you want it completely smooth.

Can I use an immersion blender? Sure, if you have a good immersion blender you can use it right in the pot. Pulse 5-6 times to create texture. I really do prefer the texture achieved by a blender here but it’s up to you. Just note it won’t be quite as creamy with an immersion blender.

Pouring pureed chickpea soup back into a pot of chunky soup.

Step 4. Season and Enjoy!

Finally, squeeze in the fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Squeezing fresh lemon juice into a pot of soup.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and fresh cracked black pepper.
  • It’s amazing served with a big slice of crusty bread for dunking!
  • Pairs well with any sandwich or wrap like my buffalo cauliflower wraps or chickpea burgers.
  • Try it alongside my vegan kale caesar salad or any light salad.
  • Serve as a tasty appetizer or light main dish.
Hand using a spoon to take a spoonful of vegetable chowder out of a bowl.

FAQs

Can I use other vegetables

Yes, this soup is flexible and easy to customize. Try sweet potato instead of potato, swapping half or all of the the potato or carrot for chopped cauliflower or stirring in green peas, green beans, spinach, kale or corn after blending.

Do I have to blend the soup?

No, you don’t have too but I definitely recommend blending at least 1-2 cups of it to add texture and creaminess.

Can I blend all of the soup?

Yes! For a completely pureed chickpea soup, go ahead and blend it all.

Is this soup gluten-free?

Yes. This soup is naturally gluten-free, however, if you’re using store-bought broth, double check the packaging as some may contain yeast extract made from wheat (most are gluten-free though!).

Hand holding up a bowl of soup with a second hand taking a spoonful from the bowl.

Storing & Reheating

  • Let cool before storing.
  • Fridge: Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
  • Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container in one batch or individual portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
  • Reheating: Reheat soup as needed on the stovetop or in the microwave. If it’s thickened substantially after storing, adjust the consistency by stirring in some water or broth.

More Soup Recipes

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Hand using a spoon to take a spoonful of vegan chickpea soup from a bowl.

Vegan Chickpea Vegetable Chowder

★★★★★ 4.9 from 67 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 5 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop, Blender
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This vegan chickpea soup is a take on classic vegetable chowder. It’s made with a base of pureed chickpeas with chunks of carrot and potato for a healthy soup that’s full of flavour and nutrition!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 heaping cup diced white onion (175 g, 1 small onion)
  • 1 cup chopped celery (150 g, approx. 2 stalks)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (20 g)
  • 1 tsp ground thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 heaping cups peeled and diced yellow potato (340 g, 1 large potato)
  • 2 cups peeled and diced carrots (300 g, approx. 4 large carrots)
  • 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 19 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (approx. 2.5 cups, 330 g)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • finely chopped parsley, optional, for serving

Instructions

  1. Add the onion, garlic and celery to a large soup pot with 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth and cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until softened and fragrant.
  2. Stir in the oregano and thyme and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring often. If the pan starts to dry out, add another splash of broth to loosen any bits sticking to the pan.
  3. Add everything except for the lemon, bring to a light simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender.
  4. Transfer about 1/2 of the soup to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Make sure you allow the steam to escape as you’re blending.
  5. Pour the blended soup back into the pot with the unblended portion and stir well to combine.
  6. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, if needed. 
  7. Serve with fresh chopped parsely.

Notes

Storing: Let cool before storing. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in a freezer-safe container in one batch or individual portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen. Reheat soup as needed on the stovetop or in the microwave. If it’s thickened substantially after storing, adjust the consistency by stirring in some water or broth.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 400 g (approx. 1/5th of recipe)
  • Calories: 168
  • Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31 g
  • Fiber: 7 g
  • Protein: 7 g

Keywords: vegetable chowder, vegan chickpea soup

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Originally published January 18, 2018.