I’ve been loving this creamy lemon chickpea soup for its rich, hearty texture and incredible flavor. It’s loaded with chickpeas, vegetables and tender potatoes, but the real star is the lemon! That bright burst of citrus cuts through the creaminess and gives the soup a delicious tangy kick. Add a generous handful of fresh dill and parsley, and oh my goodness, it’s SO good!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Lemon Chickpea Soup
The best part about this soup is how much flavor you get from such simple ingredients. One can of chickpeas goes into the pot whole, while the other gets blended with tahini, fresh lemon juice, and zest to create that wonderful creamy texture without a drop of heavy cream. The potatoes make it hearty, the vegetables add plenty of goodness, and that little bit of curry powder brings everything together. Don’t skip the fresh dill and parsley at the end. I always add another handful to my bowl because, well, you can never have too many fresh herbs!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Nothing fancy here! Just a handful of pantry staples, fresh vegetables, and a few seasonings that bring this creamy lemon chickpea soup to life.
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- Chickpeas: Two cans, used two ways. One goes into the soup whole, the other gets pureed — that puree is what makes the broth creamy without any cream. And if you ever have an extra can, my Air Fryer Chickpeas are the crispiest little snack.
- Tahini: Goes into the chickpea puree with the lemon. It gives the soup body and a rich, nutty flavor.
- Lemon juice and zest: One lemon, and both the zest and the juice go into the chickpea puree. This is not the place to use bottled juice.
- Potatoes: Four, cubed. They make the soup hearty.
- Carrots, celery and onions: Finely chopped, and sautéed first so the flavor builds before the broth ever goes in.
- Garlic and tomato paste: Tomato paste might sound odd in a lemon soup, but it deepens everything. I use more than you’d expect.
- Oregano, coriander, turmeric, red pepper flakes and curry: The curry is the one I added, and it was the kicker. Warm, but it doesn’t fight the lemon.
- Vegetable broth: Eight cups, because this is a big, vegetable-packed pot.
- Fresh dill and parsley: Finely chopped and added at the end so they stay fresh. I add a little extra to my bowl.
- Olive oil: For sautéing the vegetables — don’t rush this part.
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make It
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then. The longer they go, the more flavor they give the soup.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, coriander, turmeric, red pepper flakes and curry. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes so the tomato paste and spices wake up.
- Add one can of drained chickpeas (whole) and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the soup cooks, make the puree: in a food processor, blend the second can of drained chickpeas with the tahini, the lemon zest, all the lemon juice, and about 1/2 cup of the broth until smooth.
- Stir the puree into the soup and let it simmer a few minutes, until the broth looks creamy.
- Add the cubed potatoes last and cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the finely chopped dill and parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper — go easy at first if your broth is already salted, or use sodium-free broth and salt it yourself.
- Serve with extra dill and parsley on top of each bowl.
Tips
- The chopping is the main work in this soup, about 10 minutes. To go faster, pulse the onions, carrots and celery in the food processor until finely chopped — in batches, and don’t turn them into a puree. Your arms will thank you.
- Don’t cut the sauté short. Fifteen minutes for the onions, carrots and celery is where a lot of the flavor comes from — longer is fine.
- Salt at the end. Vegetable broth already has sodium, so taste first. Or use sodium-free broth and season it yourself.
- Add the dill and parsley at the end, off the heat, so they don’t turn dull.
- If the soup thickens up in the fridge, add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it.
Easy Swaps and Variations
- No tahini? Cashew butter or sunflower seed butter works the same way, same amount. Or leave it out completely — the pureed chickpeas still thicken the soup, just blend them with about 1/2 cup of the broth so the puree comes out smooth. It won’t be quite as rich, that’s all.
- Less heat: cut the red pepper flakes down to 1/4 teaspoon or leave them out completely.
- Want greens in it? Stir a few handfuls of baby spinach in at the very end, just until it wilts.
- More lemon: serve it with lemon wedges and squeeze a little extra over your bowl.
- No fresh dill? Fresh is really better here, but in a pinch use 1 tablespoon of dried dill and add it with the other spices so it has time to cook.
FAQ
Do I need to take the skins off the chickpeas?
Don’t waste your time peeling every chickpea. I rinsed mine and rubbed them between my hands to loosen the skins. And let me tell you, those little skins were determined to test my patience! 😂 The good news? They’re perfectly edible, and you can leave them on for this soup. If you prefer to remove them, rub the chickpeas gently in a bowl of water and skim off the loosened skins. Nobody wants to peel two cans of chickpeas.
Can I use a blender instead of a food processor?
Yes, for the puree. Blend it with the broth until smooth, in batches if your blender is small.
Can I freeze this soup?
Yes, it freezes well for up to 3 months. The potatoes get a little softer after thawing, but the soup is still good. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and add a splash of broth when you reheat it if it’s thick.
This soup was inspired by Rainbow Plant Life’s video. One watch, and I was in my kitchen making my own version — this is how it came out.
More Soups to Try
- Easy Turkey Chili — another big one-pot dinner, hearty and full of beans.
- Hearty Borscht — vegetable-packed, with potatoes, carrots, and fresh dill, just like this one.
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Creamy Lemon Chickpea Soup (Easy One-Pot Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 4 medium carrots finely cubed
- About 8 stalks celery finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed, divided
- 8 cups vegetable broth divided (about 1/2 cup goes into the puree)
- 4 potatoes cubed
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped, plus more for serving
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then. The longer they go, the more flavor they give the soup.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, coriander, turmeric, red pepper flakes and curry. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes so the tomato paste and spices wake up.
- Add one can of drained chickpeas (whole) and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the soup cooks, make the puree: in a food processor, blend the second can of drained chickpeas with the tahini, the lemon zest, all the lemon juice, and about 1/2 cup of the broth until smooth.
- Stir the puree into the soup and let it simmer a few minutes, until the broth looks creamy.
- Add the cubed potatoes last and cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the finely chopped dill and parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper — go easy at first if your broth is already salted, or use sodium-free broth and salt it yourself.
- Serve with extra dill and parsley on top of each bowl.
