This chickpea soup is so rich and creamy that no one will believe it's made from plant-based pantry staples. With fresh lemon juice and dill plus a creamy chickpea puree, it’s comforting and rich yet also packed with plant protein and fiber to keep you full!
⅓ cup (65 to 70g) long-grain white rice ((see Note 1))
¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil
4 medium carrots, (scrubbed and finely chopped)
1 large yellow onion (finely chopped)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 (15-ounce / 425g) cans chickpeas, (divided)
¾ cup (12g) fresh dill (no thick stems), (chopped and divided)
5 cloves garlic, (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes ((½ tsp for a kick))
4 cups (960 mL) vegetable broth
3 ounces (85g) baby spinach or baby kale ((can add more, see Note 2))
½ cup (120 mL) creamy unsweetened plant-based milk, (such as full-fat oat milk or canned “lite” coconut milk)
1 large lemon (zested + 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, divided)
¼ cup (20g) nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon white miso
Categories
Dinner
Soup
Cuisine
Mediterranean
New American
Steps
Add the rice to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse a few times until almost clear, then drain.
Drain and rinse one can of chickpeas and set aside for step 5. Drain and rinse the other can of chickpeas and transfer to a food processor or small-capacity blender for step 8.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the carrots and onion. Season with a few pinches of salt. Stir occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste plus spices (oregano, coriander, turmeric, and red pepper flakes). Stir almost constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the tomato paste is a darker red brick color. If it sticks or starts to burn, lower the heat and deglaze with a splash of broth.
Add the rinsed rice and toss to coat in the aromatics and oil for 1 minute. Add one can of drained chickpeas, plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Pour in the vegetable broth, followed by half of the chopped dill. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer and cover the pan. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until the rice is soft.
While the soup simmers, roughly chop the spinach and make the chickpea puree.
Chickpea Puree: To the chickpeas in the food processor or blender, add the milk, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, nutritional yeast, miso, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Blend until pureed and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed.
Stir the Chickpea Puree into the soup to combine, then add the chopped spinach. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the soup thickens and greens slightly wilt.
Off the heat, stir in the remaining dill and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste, adding salt/pepper or more lemon juice as desired. Transfer to bowls and drizzle each bowl with a bit of good-quality olive oil for richness.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 500 kcal
Carbohydrates: 64 g
Protein: 20 g
Fat: 19 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Sodium: 1159 mg
Sugar: 9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
Reviews
Emily on 2026-06-23 (5 stars): This soup is sooo good! Perfect for a rainy day.
Jamie on 2026-06-09 (5 stars): This was delicious! I loved the way the blended chickpeas, lemon, miso, nutritional yeast, etc. add creaminess and extra flavor to the soup!
Denise on 2026-06-09 (5 stars): Love this recipe. Made it twice in the past 3 weeks. Quick question: how much is a serving? One cup? A half?
Thanks
Rica on 2026-06-05 (5 stars): Oh my goodness this soup is delicious! I thought the recipe sounded good but had noooo idea how tasty it would actually be.
It’s a complex blend of flavours that have achieved such perfect harmony I keep expecting a chorus of angels to descend into my kitchen.
Absolutely yummy!
Kat on 2026-06-02 (5 stars): This is awesome.. i love the hit of dill.. the creamy chickpea sauce is excellent.. I definitely be making it again.
Karen on 2026-05-29 (5 stars): I made this soup last night for my sister and her husband. He prefers meat based meals. My husband is vegan. Everyone absolutely loved the soup. It definitely has a wonderful flavor. I will be making it again for my family.
Melissa on 2026-05-28 (5 stars): This soup is easy to make and taste amazing!!! The flavors go so well together. I knew it was a winner when my teen nieces asked for seconds! My adds: celery, almost doubled the spices, used "no chicken" Better Than Bullion broth, extra miso because didn't have nutritional yeast and kale instead of spinach. Thank you for the amazing recipe!!!!
Rafael Rico on 2026-05-28 (5 stars): Love all of your recipes and your book is a staple in my kitchen. Thank you so much!
Kathy on 2026-05-27 (5 stars): Such a refreshing change from the regular fare in my home. Very worthwhile trying this recipe. So healthy, too.