Chickpea Vegetable Soup
on Mar 02, 2021, Updated May 12, 2026
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This delicious vegan chickpea vegetable soup is easy to make in 30 minutes for a healthy, comforting meal.
Featured Review
One of my favorite soups. I Love it and it’s so easy to make and tastes delicious. I make it at least 3 times a month. Thanks
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Muguette
Why You’ll Love Chickpea Vegetable Soup
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! Here’s why I think you’ll love it:
- Ready in under 30 minutes with everyday pantry ingredients.
- Vegan (dairy-free), gluten-free, oil-free and sugar-free.
- 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.
- Budget-friendly.
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.
Ingredients
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- 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.
- Herbs: For simplicity, the recipe calls for dried thyme and oregano but you can substitute 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs if you prefer.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. 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.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: Finally, squeeze in the fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
FAQs
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.
No, you don’t have too but I definitely recommend blending at least 1-2 cups of it to add texture and creaminess.
Yes! For a completely pureed chickpea soup, go ahead and blend it all.
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!).
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.
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 Chickpea Soup Recipes
If you try this Chickpea Chowder or any other recipe on Running on Real Food, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @runningonrealfood so I can see your creation! Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
Chickpea Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup heaping 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Pour the blended soup back into the pot with the unblended portion and stir well to combine.
- Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with fresh chopped parsely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published January 18, 2018.
So deliciously delish! Easy easy peasy recipe and the flavour profile is insane – so good!
I used a ninja blender to cream half the soup and the consistency was a bit grainy (vs smooth) in texture but I think this might be because of the blender?! Or potatoes in general. Not sure. I know the ninja blender doesn’t smoothly blend my smoothies so might be the same here. Great recipe, thanks!
Ya, that would be the blender. I used a Vitamix which does an amazing job at making it super smooth. Glad you enjoyed the flavour!
Made this flavourful soup and shared with my daughter. This is one of my go to soups. It’s just a bowl full of goodness!
Awesome, Helen! I’m so glad you enjoy it. Thanks for the kind review!
I made this chowder and it was very flavorful and satisfied my urge for a milk based chowder that I have been longing for but avoiding. It is my favorite recipe so far from Running on Real Food. But I have only tried a few. I plan trying a lot more. Not disappointed yet.
Glad you enjoyed it! I hope you find some more recipes you enjoy.
This recipe is really good, I’ve made it several times. Nice balance of flavor. I notice you suggest freezing batches. I’ve never been able to successfully freeze potatoes, the texture just isn’t good once they’re frozen. What do you know that I don’t?
Do you think I could use sweet potatoes instead of yellow potatoes? That’s what I have in my fridge…
You can. The cooking time and texture will be a bit different but the recipe will work. I haven’t tried it though so I can’t guarantee how it will come out. Let me know if you make it!
If I want to make the vegan chick pea chowder in an Instapot, do I make any changes in the recipe?
Thanks
I just made it in an Instant Pot today. Just use a little less broth since none of it will evaporate. I did it on high pressure for 15 min, then you can either do a quick release or a natural release for 10-15 min depending on how soft you like your vegetables.
Love this recipe. Thank you.
This soup was so cheap and easy to make – and, even better, my 3-year-old ate her whole bowl!!!
Haha, so glad it passed the 3-year olds test! They’re tough critics. So happy you guys enjoyed it.
Absolutely delicious and perfectly filling! My entire family loved this chowder. Will definitely make over and over again.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it Karen. Thanks for the review!
I have made this countless times! I always seem to have the ingredients on hand and it is simply delicious!