Spanish Chickpea and Vegetable Soup with Tomatoes Recipe
This chickpea and vegetable soup is an everyday Spanish-style pot – thick, hearty, but meat-free. It’s a bit like a classic vegetable soup, only instead of potatoes the stars are chickpeas and tomatoes. Perfect for cooler days when you want something warming but still full of vegetables.
A simple, everyday-style Spanish soup that’s naturally vegetarian yet very filling thanks to chickpeas and vegetables. It uses pantry staples like canned tomatoes and chickpeas, so you can make it anytime without complicated ingredients.
Chef's tips
Use good-quality smoked paprika – it gives the soup its characteristic Spanish note. If your stock is salty, add salt at the very end to avoid over-seasoning. The soup tastes even better the next day, when the flavors have had time to meld.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls with plenty of fresh parsley and a drizzle of extra olive oil. Pair with crusty bread, toasted baguette slices or garlic bread. For extra protein, you can top each portion with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or a poached egg.
Ingredients
- canned chickpeas about 400 g each, drained and rinsed - 2 cans
- carrots medium, cut into half-slices - 2 pieces
- celery stalks sliced - 2 stalks
- onion finely chopped - 1 piece
- garlic chopped - 3 cloves
- canned tomatoes chopped - 400 g
- vegetable stock homemade or from a cube - 1 l
- bay leaf - 2 pieces
- smoked sweet paprika - 1 teaspoon
- olive oil for sautéing the vegetables - 3 tablespoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- parsley chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent.
- Add the carrots, celery and a pinch of salt. Sauté for another 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add the chopped garlic and smoked paprika and cook for about 1 more minute, until the spices become fragrant, but do not let them burn.
- Pour in the canned tomatoes and vegetable stock, then add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Add the drained chickpeas, stir and cook for another 10–15 minutes, until the carrots are tender but not falling apart.
- Remove the bay leaves. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- If you’d like a thicker soup, scoop out 2–3 tablespoons of chickpeas with vegetables, blend until smooth and pour back into the pot, stirring.
- Serve the soup hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley, with a slice of bread or baguette.
Storage
Zupa dobrze znosi mrożenie, ale najlepiej zamrażać ją bez natki pietruszki. Po rozmrożeniu podgrzewaj na małym ogniu, mieszając, i ewentualnie dolej trochę wody lub bulionu.
