Quick & Easy Garbanzo Bean Soup

This super quick, easy and hearty garbanzo bean soup is bound to become your favorite dinner, come fall. For me, this soup is like a squishy hug from my grandma. It is comforting, nourishing, filling and healthy. For this soup, we will be using canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), lots of fresh vegetables, some good old pasta and plenty of Italian flavors.

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Why this easy chickpea soup is a must try?

With all those Italian flavors, this incredibly effortless soup checks so many boxes.

1. Vegetarian and vegan friendly- you can add some cheese to make it creamy and extra delicious.
2. Uses canned chickpeas which makes it a quick meal- While I do love cooking with dried chickpeas, canned chickpeas is such a winner when you want to speed up the cooking process. You only need less than 30 minutes to make this recipe.
3. Batch-cooking and freezer-friendly- This hearty Italian style soup is ideal for freezing. Stock your freezer with the leftovers and you have some easy weeknight meals. We also love this for work lunches since you can easily reheat this in a microwave and eat it on the go.
4. Easily feeds a crowd- This one pot wonderful soup can be doubled or tripled in a moment. And that makes it perfect for a large family or for unexpected dinner guests.
5. One pot meal – Really, do we need to wash a million dishes? 
6. Can be customized easily- You can make so many variations to this recipe. Add your favorite toppings, skip or add more veggies, change the bean or the pasta. 

Chickpeas is a very popular ingredient in so many cuisines. This plump whitish bean is packed with protein and so versatile, which makes it an absolute buy at the grocery store.

If you are someone who cooks with a lot of chickpeas (like me), then I recommend buying them at the bulk bin because this is so much cheaper and economical. 

Also called as garbanzo beans in the west, canned chickpeas or canned garbanzo beans are available in bulk too. Costco is your best bet 🙂 Do share in the comments if you have other places to stock up on this.

Ingredients for one pot chickpea soup

The base for this soup is a tangy tomato broth. To make this a light but filling meal, I have added pasta to the soup. Here is what you will need-

1. Olive oil– good quality extra virgin olive oil for bringing out the best Italian flavors possible.
2. Onions and garlic– to add flavor and body.
3. Vegetables like green beans, carrots and spinach are what make this soup nourishing. 
4. Celery is an absolute must here because it lends a nice bite and a sharpish flavor too.
5. Canned diced tomatoes- I have used the ones that have basil and garlic added to them but you can use regular ones as well. For this recipe, I used a 14 oz can.
6. Vegetable stock makes this a deliciously fragrant soup. While you can use plain water, I recommend stock for best results. 
7. Orzo– This is my new found love. I have taken to this short pasta recently. My bet for this soup is on whole wheat orzo. Any short pasta like Cavatelli, Orecchiette, short elbow pasta or Ditalini pasta also works well here.
8. Spices and seasonings- Salt, freshly cracked pepper and dried herbs like oregano and thyme are what we will use here.

Storage, shelf life and freezing

Our easy protein rich chickpeas soup keeps well in the fridge for 3 days. To reheat, transfer to a sauce pan and gently reheat over medium heat. Store leftovers in a covered air tight container.

Freezing tips for freezing Italian chickpea soup

1. Skip the pasta or the carbs– if you plan on freezing this soup, then omit the pasta or any carbs. Pasta or carbs do not freeze well. So, make the soup without adding the pasta if you plan to freeze this. After thawing the soup, add pasta cooked to al dente to the soup, gently reheat and serve.
2. Allow the soup to cool down completely before freezing. Do not freeze soup when it is hot.
3. Leave at least 1 inch headspace in the container. Do not fill the container to the brim since liquids like soup expand when frozen. I recommend freezing 2 cup portions in freezer-safe silicon bags. 
4. Thaw soup in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in the cooked pasta and serve hot. Since we usually eat soups for dinner, I tend to leave the frozen soup in the fridge through the day. That way, it is ready for dinner.
5. Never ever refreeze thawed frozen food. This is highly unhygienic and poses a health hazard.

Variations

1. Grate in some cheese- My daughter loves some parmesan but I am partial to sharp cheddar. You can also add some parmesan rinds to your soup.
2. Throw in more veggies– Bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet corn, butternut squash, zucchini and baby potatoes are all fantastic in this soup.
3. Switch the carbs- You can use any short pasta of your choice or brown rice or even quinoa in this soup. 
4. Add lots of fresh herbs– for a refreshing twist to this soup. I love adding fresh parsley along with the basil.
5. Blend it up – and make it a super creamy soup. Psst..this is a great way to get kids to eat the veggies and chickpeas.
6. Try different spices and herbs– You can also use bay leaf, paprika, dried rosemary and pepper flakes.
7. Use a different bean or a mix- because why not? A combination of canned white beans and garbanzo work wonderfully well here.
8. For a low carb version, skip the pasta fully and make the recipe as is.
9. Add more toppings – to make it interesting. Croutons, herby crackers, potato chips, crispy roasted chickpeas, or even tortilla chips (maybe a Mexican and Italian fusion, here?) are so good.

Recipe Notes

1. This soup is a spin off of the Italian style Pasta e Ceci , which is a rustic stew with loads of veggies and pasta. But this is not the authentic version since authentic versions use wine and cheese.
2. You can make this soup in the Instant pot or on the stove top. Either way, all we need is one pot. Please refer to the Method section for more details.
3. Since we are wary of salt, I have used low sodium vegetable stock to make this recipe. You can also use vegetarian bouillon cubes for this soup. Combine 2 vegetarian bouillon cubes with 2 cups hot water and use this in place of the stock.
4. If you want a cheesy flavor to this soup, add 2 tsp nutritional yeast flakes to this vegan chickpea soup recipe.
5. Add the baby spinach only at the end after the soup is cooked. We do not want to over cook the spinach here.
6. Do not forget to stir everything up after you add the broth. This helps in deglazing and preventing BURN signal in the Instant Pot.
7. For stovetop cooking, I recommend making this soup in a heavy bottomed pan like a Dutch oven. I love my trusted 5 quart Dutch oven for this.
8. We love herbs like fresh basil in our soups. If you cannot source fresh herbs, use dried ones. A word of caution here- dried herbs are more potent than fresh ones. So use only 1/3 of the recommended amount of fresh herbs. This applies to most recipes. For example, if 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil is called for in a recipe, you will need one 1 tsp of dried basil.
9. Since this soup is thick like a stew, I added a cup of water to adjust the consistency and make it soupy. You can skip this step if you prefer it to be thick.

Serving suggestions

If I am not adding pasta to my soup, I serve this with some of my no knead focaccia or cheesy pull apart bread. We also love eating a salad alongside this to make it a wholesome meal.

Our favorite salads with this soupy stew are this Persian Shirazi salad, smashed cucumber salad or this apple and cucumber salad.

Love chickpeas?

If you enjoy chickpeas, then here are some more recipes using these beans. Try one of these recipes and let us know how it turned out to be in the comments. 

Method

How to make chickpeas soup with pasta in the Instant Pot?

Insert the inner pot into the Instant Pot. Plug in the Instant pot and press SAUTE-NORMAL. Set the timer to 8 minutes.

Steps 1 and 2

When the display reads HOT, add the extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and saute till it begins to brown.

Steps 3 and 4

Now, add the finely chopped onions and fry till onions are pink and translucent. Immediately, tip in the chopped green beans, diced carrots and chopped celery.

Steps 5 and 6

Stir to mix. Drain the canned chickpeas in a colander, rinse once and add them to the inner pot. Now, add the orzo.

Steps 7 and 8

Next, add the fresh basil and canned diced tomatoes.

Steps 9 and 10

Pour the broth over this mixture. Stir once or twice to combine.

Steps 11 and 12

Addthe dried oregano, dried parsley, dried thyme and dried oregano. Stir well to combine.

Tip in the salt and freshly cracked pepper. Stir once. PRESS CANCEL.

Ensure that the sealing ring has been fitted properly into the Instant pot lid. Close the lid and turn the VALVE to SEALING.

Press PRESSURE COOK-HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer to 5 minutes. Wait for the cooking cycle to complete. Once the cooking cycle has completed, press CANCEL and do a controlled quick pressure release by turning the VALVE to VENTING.

Steps 13 and 14

Open the lid and add the baby spinach leaves. Stir to combine.

Steps 15 and 16

Press SAUTE MODE-NORMAL and set the timer to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water to adjust the consistency. Allow the soup to simmer through the SAUTE cycle. When done, garnish with fresh basil and parsley.

Serve hot with preferred toppings.

Stovetop soup

Heat a heavy bottomed 5 quart pan (such as a Dutch oven) with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and when it begins to brown, add the onions.

Saute the onions till they are pink and soft. Tip in the chopped veggies and drained chickpeas. Stir to combine.

Add the canned diced tomatoes along with the broth, dried herbs, spices and salt. Mix well and allow this to come to a boil.

When ready, add the orzo and 1 cup hot boiling water, stir well and cook till the pasta is al dente. This takes roughly 8 to 10 minutes. Please refer the package for more information on cooking time.

Once the pasta has cooked, garnish with fresh basil and parsley. Serve hot with toppings of your choice.

Print Recipe

4.50 from 6 votes

Quick & Easy Garbanzo Bean Soup

This hearty, comforting and nutritious soup with chickpeas and short pasta is ready in under 30 minutes and is a fabulous weeknight fall meal.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time16 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Mains

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Servings: 6

Calories: 154kcal

Equipment

• 1 6 qt Instant Pot or a similar capacity heavy bottomed pan for stove top cooking
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 chopping board

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped finely
• 3/4 cup diced carrots
• 3/4 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green beans
• 1 can canned chickpeas Drain chickpeas and use in soup. (15 oz can used here)
• 1 can diced tomatoes 14 oz can used here
• 1/4 cup orzo
• 2 tbsp fresh basil torn roughly
• 2 cup vegetable stock
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 3 tsp cracked black pepper or adjust to taste
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup water to adjust consistency

For finishing

• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped

Instructions

Instant Pot Soup

• Insert the inner pot into the Instant Pot. Plug in the Instant pot and press SAUTE-NORMAL. Set the timer to 8 minutes.
• When the display reads HOT, add the extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and saute till it begins to brown.
• Now, add the finely chopped onions and fry till onions are pink and translucent.
• Immediately, tip in the chopped green beans, diced carrots and chopped celery. Stir to mix.
• Drain the canned chickpeas in a colander, rinse once and add them to the inner pot. Now, add the orzo.
• Add the fresh basil followed by the canned diced tomatoes.
• Pour the stock over this mixture. Stir once or twice to deglaze the pot and combine everything well.
• Add the dried oregano, dried parsley, dried thyme and dried oregano. Stir well to combine.
• Tip in the salt and freshly cracked pepper. Stir once. PRESS CANCEL.
• Ensure that the sealing ring has been fitted properly into the Instant pot lid. Close the lid and turn the VALVE to SEALING.
• Press PRESSURE COOK-HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer to 5 minutes. Wait for the cooking cycle to complete. Once the cooking cycle has completed, press CANCEL and do a controlled quick pressure release by turning the VALVE to VENTING.
• Open the lid and add the baby spinach leaves. Stir to combine.
• Press SAUTE MODE-NORMAL and set the timer to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water to adjust the consistency. Allow the soup to simmer through the SAUTE cycle. When done, garnish with fresh basil and parsley.
• Serve hot with preferred toppings.

Stovetop soup

• Heat a heavy bottomed 5 quart pan (such as a Dutch oven) with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and when it begins to brown, add the onions.
• Saute the onions till they are pink and soft. Tip in the chopped veggies and drained chickpeas. Stir to combine.
• Add the canned diced tomatoes along with the broth, dried herbs, spices and salt. Mix well and allow this to come to a boil.
• When ready, add the orzo, stir well and cook till the pasta is al dente. This takes roughly 8 to 10 minutes. Please refer the package for more information on cooking time.
• Once the pasta has cooked, garnish with fresh basil and parsley. Serve hot with toppings of your choice.

Notes

1. This soup is a spin off of the Italian style Pasta e Ceci , which is a rustic stew with loads of veggies and pasta. But this is not the authentic version since authentic versions use wine and cheese.
2. You can make this soup in the Instant pot or on the stove top. Either way, all we need is one pot. Please refer to the Method section for more details.
3. Since we are wary of salt, I have used low sodium vegetable stock to make this recipe. You can also use vegetarian bouillon cubes for this soup. Combine 2 vegetarian bouillon cubes with 2 cups hot water and use this in place of the stock.
4. If you want a cheesy flavor to this soup, add 2 tsp nutritional yeast flakes to this vegan chickpea soup recipe.
5. Add the baby spinach only at the end after the soup is cooked. We do not want to over cook the spinach here.
6. Do not forget to stir everything up after you add the broth. This helps in deglazing and preventing BURN signal in the Instant Pot.
7. For stovetop cooking, I recommend making this soup in a heavy bottomed pan like a Dutch oven. I love my trusted 5 quart Dutch oven for this.
8. We love herbs like fresh basil in our soups. If you cannot source fresh herbs, use dried ones. A word of caution here- dried herbs are more potent than fresh ones. So use only 1/3 of the recommended amount of fresh herbs. This applies to most recipes. For example, if 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil is called for in a recipe, you will need one 1 tsp of dried basil.
9. Since this soup is thick like a stew, I added a cup of water to adjust the consistency and make it soupy. You can skip this step if you prefer it to be thick.
10.  

 

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 560mg | Potassium: 451mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3644IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg

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