Turkish Chickpea and Spinach Soup with Lemon Recipe
This soup combines creamy chickpeas, fresh spinach, and lemon juice, which gives it a lightly refreshing character. In Turkey, such one-pot soups often appear for dinner, served with a slice of bread and a small bowl of yogurt on the side. The flavor is a bit like Italian bean and greens soup, but thanks to the lemon and cumin it has a distinctly Eastern character.
A simple, comforting one-pot soup that combines the creaminess of chickpeas with fresh greens and bright lemon, inspired by everyday Turkish home cooking. Blending part of the soup gives it a velvety texture without cream, while cumin and paprika add warmth and depth.
Chef's tips
Adjust the lemon at the very end so you can control the level of acidity—different broths and chickpeas can change the base flavor. If your stock is salty, go easy on the salt until after you add the lemon. For extra aroma, lightly toast the cumin in a dry pan before adding it to the pot. If you prefer a thicker soup, blend a larger portion of the chickpeas; for a chunkier, stew-like texture, blend only a little or skip blending altogether.
How to serve
Serve as a light dinner with crusty bread, pita, or flatbread. It also works well as a starter before a simple main course. Offer lemon wedges, extra yogurt, and a drizzle of good olive oil at the table. A side of tomato and cucumber salad or a simple cabbage slaw pairs nicely with the warm, spiced flavors.
Ingredients
- cooked chickpeas can be canned, drained - 400 g
- fresh spinach or frozen, chopped - 150 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- carrot medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 3 cloves
- vegetable stock homemade or from a cube - 1 l
- tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- lemon juice freshly squeezed - 2 tablespoons
- vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
- ground cumin - 1 teaspoon
- sweet paprika, ground - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- parsley chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
- thick plain yogurt optional, for serving - 4 tablespoons
Preparation
- Peel the onion and dice it finely. Peel the carrot and cut it into small cubes. Finely chop the garlic.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent.
- Add the carrot and cook for another 3–4 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the garlic, cumin, and sweet paprika and cook for another 30–40 seconds, until the spices become very fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste, stir, and cook for 1 minute so it can fry lightly.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and add the chickpeas. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes, until the carrot is tender.
- With your hand, scoop out about one-third of the chickpeas from the pot and set them aside in a bowl. Blend the rest of the soup with an immersion blender until smooth or partially smooth, leaving some chunks of vegetables, depending on the texture you like.
- Return the reserved chickpeas to the pot. Add the spinach (if using fresh, rinse and roughly chop it first). Cook for 3–5 minutes, until the leaves wilt and the frozen spinach thaws and combines with the soup.
- Season the soup with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Start with 1 tablespoon of juice, taste, and add a second if you like a more pronounced acidity.
- Serve the hot soup sprinkled with parsley, with a dollop of yogurt on top if using.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This soup is inspired by the everyday, unfussy soups often served in Turkish homes—hearty enough to be a full meal, but still bright and fresh thanks to the lemon and herbs. It’s a great way to use pantry staples like chickpeas and tomato paste, and it’s very forgiving: you can easily swap the greens or adjust the spices to your taste.
