Turkish Chickpea Soup with Tomatoes and Rice Recipe
This soup is a simple, homestyle way to use chickpeas – in Turkey people often cook a larger batch of legumes and add them to different dishes later. The combination of tomatoes, rice, and gentle spices makes a thick, satisfying soup that can easily replace a main course. It’s mild, so the whole family will enjoy it.
A simple Turkish-inspired soup that turns basic pantry ingredients like chickpeas, tomatoes, and rice into a hearty, filling meal with minimal effort. Mild spices make it family-friendly, yet it still has a distinct, comforting flavor.
Chef's tips
Use good-quality stock, as it forms the flavor base of the soup. If you’re using canned chickpeas, rinse them well to remove excess brine. Adjust the thickness to your liking by adding more or less stock, and don’t skip the final seasoning with salt and pepper – it really brings the flavors together.
How to serve
Serve the soup very hot, topped with chopped parsley and, if you like, a spoonful of plain yogurt or Turkish-style yogurt. Offer lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the top. It pairs well with warm flatbread, pita, or crusty bread for dipping.
Ingredients
- cooked chickpeas or 1 can drained chickpeas - 300 g
- rice short-grain or long-grain - 70 g
- canned tomatoes chopped - 400 g
- vegetable stock or chicken stock - 1.1 l
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 cloves
- olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- butter optional, for flavor - 1 tablespoon
- sweet paprika - 1 teaspoon
- ground cumin - 0.5 teaspoons
- bay leaf - 1 piece
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- parsley chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Finely dice the onion and chop the garlic. Rinse the rice in a sieve under running water.
- Heat the olive oil with the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until softened and slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the sweet paprika and cumin and stir quickly.
- Add the canned tomatoes, bay leaf, and stock. Bring to a boil.
- Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Add the cooked chickpeas, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes, until the rice is tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
- Remove the bay leaf and season the soup with salt and pepper. If it’s too thick, add a little water or stock.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley. You can add a spoonful of plain yogurt on top of each portion.
Storage
Ryż w zupie będzie dalej pęczniał, więc następnego dnia zupa będzie gęstsza – przy podgrzewaniu dolej trochę wody lub bulionu. Po ostudzeniu możesz ją zamrozić w porcjach.
