Moroccan Roasted Chickpea Soup

Enjoy a warm bowl of Moroccan Chickpea Soup with spices that set this soup apart from a typical vegetable soup. This soup is healthy, uses pantry staples, and made entirely vegan and gluten-free.

Are you bored of the typical vegetable soup? This Moroccan Chickpea Soup is an excellent alternative! The roasted chickpeas and combination of Moroccan spices set this soup apart from the rest. 

It’s one of my favorite vegetarian and vegan soup recipes out there!

There are so many healthy components to this soup. The combo of paprika and cumin make it a good one for recovering from the flu or a cold. The blend of spices will transport you to authentic Moroccan dinners.

There is plenty of protein in this soup from the chickpeas. It’s the perfect Meatless Monday soup as It is hearty enough for even carnivores to not miss extra meat.

Using pantry staples

Aside from the spinach, all of the ingredients are canned staples. This is a huge plus when everything can be found in your pantry to make a nutritious and filling meal. But of course, if you have fresh vegetables you can certainly use them in the soup! The recipe is easily adaptable to fit what you have on hand and stocked in your pantry.

To give the soup a slight creaminess I used a can of creamed corn. It doesn’t make the soup overwhelmingly heavy like coconut milk or half-and-half would, but just gives a small boost of texture to differentiate the consistency from a typical vegetable soup.

How to Make Moroccan Chickpea Soup

Step 1: Roasting the chickpeas

Roasting the chickpeas in olive oil, paprika, and cumin is the secret to getting the spices to pop out and really enhance the Moroccan flavor. I’ve made this soup plenty of times and can tell when the chickpeas have not been oven-roasted. It is difficult to emulate the flavor from just adding spices to the soup alone. The way the spices are pulled out from roasting is essential in my opinion, so this is a step I do not skip.

However, if you are short on time, feel free to skip the roasting step. But just know that you will be missing out on a serious level of flavor if you decide to do so. It is an extra 15 minutes that are well worth it in the finished soup. 

Step 2:  Add the ingredients

• While the chickpeas are roasting in the oven, you can heat a large stockpot on medium-low heat and add the canned carrots, corn, creamed corn, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and paprika. This is when the paprika and vegetables marry together while cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Step 3: Simmer

• Now add the vegetable broth and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes before adding the chickpeas. This prevents the chickpeas from becoming mushy.
• Add the spinach and let the soup simmer until the carrots are soft. I can usually tell when the soup is done once the carrots can be easily pierced by a fork (about 20 minutes).

Frozen Vs Fresh Spinach

Both frozen and fresh spinach work well in this soup recipe. I tend to use fresh spinach though since that’s what I usually have on hand. The frozen spinach is great for softer chewing or a way to pack more handfuls in whereas the fresh spinach is very hearty.

Storing this soup

You can store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. However, my preferred method of storing this roasted chickpea soup is in the freezer and thawing out as needed. It reheats beautifully.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup As A Freezer Meal

This is one of those soups that can be easily stored in a container in the freezer and thaw out for later consumption. I’ve had success reheating it on the stovetop or in the microwave. Both turn out delicious. If stored properly, this will keep in the freezer for about 2 months.

*Tip: If reheating frozen soup on the stovetop, you may need to add an extra splash of vegetable broth or water since the liquid will cook down a smidge.

Final Recipe Tips:

• All ingredients use pantry staples (aside from the spinach). But this recipe also works well with fresh veggies if you have those on hand.
• Roast the chickpeas in cumin and paprika for extra flavor. You may also skip this step if you are low on time.
• When reheating frozen soup on the stovetop, add a splash of vegetable broth or water since some of the liquid will cook down.

 

More Healthy Recipes:

• Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
• Coconut Date Energy Bites
• Vegan Plum Muffins

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