Description
This Lemony Chickpea Soup with Spinach & Potatoes is a comforting, nutritious dish bursting with vibrant flavors. Featuring tender potatoes and protein-packed chickpeas simmered in a fragrant vegetable broth with garlic, thyme, and a zesty lemon finish, this soup is both hearty and fresh. The addition of baby spinach adds a lovely color and a boost of greens. Perfect for a wholesome lunch or light dinner, it’s easy to prepare and blends creamy texture with bright citrus notes.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 1 medium carrot, small dice
- 1 stick celery, small dice
- 3 medium new potatoes, cut into ¾ inch cubes (about 3 cups diced potato)
- 4 cups baby spinach, not packed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Legumes & Stock
- 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed if using canned
- 4 cups vegetable stock
Seasonings & Oils
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground chillies or chili flakes, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus extra for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the Aromatics: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl it around to coat the base. Add the diced onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until very soft and translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Lower the heat if onions start to brown to prevent burning.
- Add Carrot and Celery: Add the diced carrot and celery to the pot. Continue sautéing with the onions, stirring occasionally, until the celery is slightly softened around the edges, approximately 5 minutes. Season the vegetables with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Add Garlic, Spices, and Herbs: Stir in the minced garlic, ground chillies or chili flakes, fresh thyme leaves, and lemon zest. Sauté the mixture until the garlic and lemon zest release their fragrance, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Incorporate Potatoes and Chickpeas: Add the cubed potatoes and cooked chickpeas to the pot. Season again with salt and pepper and stir everything together to combine.
- Add Vegetable Stock and Simmer: Pour in the vegetable stock and stir the soup well. Cover the pot with a lid, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Set the lid slightly askew to allow steam to escape, and let cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 15 minutes.
- Blend Half the Soup: Carefully ladle half of the soup into an upright blender with a vented lid. Blend on high speed until completely smooth to create a creamy texture while retaining some chunkiness from the remaining unmixed soup.
- Combine and Add Spinach: Pour the pureed soup back into the pot and stir to combine. Add the fresh baby spinach and stir until it wilts completely.
- Finish with Lemon Juice and Seasoning: Stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and taste the soup. Adjust seasoning with additional lemon juice, salt, pepper, or chili flakes as desired to enhance the bright, fresh flavors.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and drizzle with extra olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper on top. Enjoy immediately for a comforting meal.
Notes
- Using fresh thyme adds a fragrant herbal note; if unavailable, dried thyme can be substituted but use less (about 1 teaspoon).
- Vegetable stock can be homemade or store-bought; ensure it is low sodium if monitoring salt intake.
- Adjust chili flakes according to your heat preference or omit for a milder soup.
- For a thicker soup, blend more than half or all of the soup before adding spinach.
- Extra lemon juice added at the end brightens the soup and balances the earthiness of chickpeas and potatoes.
- This soup can be stored refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 460 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
