Nothing beats a warm bowl of hearty soup, right? Lucky for us, soup can be incredibly flavorful and remarkably healthy at the same time. Roasting the vegetables and chickpeas gives tomato chickpea soup tons of flavor. It's a simple combination that really delivers!
Recipe: $5.99 | Per Serving: $1.50 | Yield: 4 Servings
I love soup because you normally don't have to do much work. Chop, roast, blend, right?
Most people cook their soups on the stove, but I really love the flavors of roasted vegetables, especially tomatoes, and garlic. This creamy chickpea soup recipe starts in the oven and then finishes up in the blender.
And yes, this soup is HEALTHY! It's made from whole food ingredients, including vegetables, chickpeas, and cashews. So go make yourself a batch, or go ahead and make two and toss some in the freezer.
Love soup too? Try this tomato and white bean soup and this easy black bean soup! I think you will really enjoy them.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Creamy, yet dairy-free! This creamy tomato soup gets its texture from chickpeas, not cream, and the homemade cashew cream adds a luxurious touch.
- Suitable for many diets. The soup is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!
- Made with simple, wholesome ingredients!
- Great for meal prep. Make a batch at the start of the week and store it to use for future meals.
Ingredients
Everything you need to make a pot of creamy chickpea soup recipe with tomatoes is available at most grocery stores. You can rely on convenience items such as canned broth or beans, or make these fresh at home.
- Cashews: When soaked cashews blend up into a delicious cream sauce that's a delightful dairy-free way to add creaminess with a bit of tang to recipes.
- Red pepper flakes: Just a touch to add a bit of spice.
- Apple cider vinegar: It's my favorite vinegar for making chickpea tomato soup but you can use any other such as white, rice, or red wine vinegar.
- Vegetable stock: Cooking soups with vegetable stock or broth adds more flavor (and nutrients) than using water alone. You can buy store bought or save some money and make vegetable broth from scratch. I highly recommend this chicken broth if you don't need to keep the soup vegan.
- Optional garnishes: Toasted pumpkin seeds bring extra protein and texture, and provide something for us to chew, which is super important to promote important digestive juices!
Variations for Adding More Protein
If you're interested in making this a higher-protein option to serve as a main meal, here are some items you can add to really boost the protein.
- Chicken bone broth: A good-quality bone broth that gels after a night in the fridge will contain about 8-10 grams of protein per cup.
- Hemp seeds: Add a quarter cup of hemp seeds to blend right into the soup! They will provide about 13 grams of protein!
- Pumpkin seed garnish: Four tablespoons of pumpkin seeds contain about 10 grams of protein. By adding one tablespoon to each bowl, you're getting another 2.5 grams of protein per serving.
- Double the chickpeas. Another way to make this soup much more filling!
PRO TIP: If you use the chicken broth, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seed garnish, this will add nearly 8 grams of protein to each portion.
How to Make Tomato Chickpea Soup
Are you ready to make this easy chickpea soup recipe? Let's get started with an overview of the process. Check the recipe card for all the details.
- Soak the cashews in hot boiling water while you prep the other ingredients.
- Roughly chop the red bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Put the vegetables on a baking sheet. Place unpeeled garlic cloves with the tip cut off onto the pan as well.
- Roast in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes, or until vegetables are softened and fragrant, with a little color on the tops.
PRO TIP: Be sure to check the garlic often, starting around 20 minutes to ensure it isn't burning. The garlic sometimes cooks faster than the other vegetables, depending on the size of the cloves.
- Make the cashew cream. Place the drained cashews in a blender and add water. Season with salt, vinegar, and olive oil and blend again. Add more water one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you want. Set it aside in a bowl until ready to serve.
- Peel the garlic and place the slightly cooled vegetable mixture in the blender, along with broth and drained chickpeas. Blend it together until smooth and creamy.
- Serve it up with desired garnishes or toppings!
How to Serve
Tomato chickpea soup makes a hearty and satisfying appetizer or side dish. It's perfect to serve when there's a chill in the air but it's also light enough to work all year round.
- Garnish the top with some fresh basil or a drizzle of pesto for color and a burst of flavor.
- Add some cheese: Feta cheese or parmesan would be great on top!
- Give it some crunch: Swap out the pumpkin seeds with a sprinkle of toasted walnuts, garlic croutons, or crackers.
- Tomato soup and grilled cheese are a match made in heaven! Serve it up with Pesto, Provolone and Avocado Grilled Cheese, or keep it simple with just your favorite cheese.
- Add a salad: This Tahini Kale Salad is a great option.
Expert Tips
- Watch the salt. I recommend starting with no more than one-half teaspoon of salt in this soup. How much you need will depend on the broth and chickpeas you use as canned often contain more salt than homemade.
- If you're not vegan or vegetarian, you can always substitute for chicken broth if that's what you've got on hand!
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, start by blending the vegetables until they're smooth and liquid, then add the chickpeas. Additionally, use less liquid for the cashews at first, adding more later in the blending process. Another option is to soak or simmer your chickpeas in hot water for 15 minutes before blending to ensure they're very soft.
- Watch the garlic closely so it doesn't burn. It will be done before the other vegetables, so remove it from the oven and set it aside.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for up to three months.
FAQs
Yes, cooked white beans also work here.
Yes, you can! I recommend freezing the tomato chickpea soup and creamy cashew cream in separate containers. They will both keep for up to three months. When ready to reheat, thaw it out in the fridge overnight and heat it up on the stove or in the microwave. Give the cashew cream a good stir or blend it up again if it has separated.
This entire recipe can be made on the stovetop by simmering all ingredients (including the cashews) together for 25-30 minutes and blending in batches. For this method, I don't top it with cashew cream, but instead blend them into the soup.
Dietary Modifications
- Vegetarian and Vegan: Yep!
- Paleo: No - chickpeas are not Paleo. You could skip the chickpeas and blend the cashews into the soup for a Paleo option.
More Easy Vegetarian Soup Recipes
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Tomato Chickpea Soup
Equipment
- 1 blender high speed or any
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- ½ cup cashews + hot water for soaking
- ½ cup water more as needed
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or any
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt more as needed
Chickpea Soup
- 0.5 pounds tomatoes heirloom, roma, or any; about 2-3 medium
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ medium onion chopped (or 1 small)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil for roasting vegetables
- ½ teaspoon salt for soup, more to taste
- 1 cup unsalted vegetable broth or chicken or any, more if needed
- 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed ~1.75 cups cooked chickpeas, from 400gm can
Extras
- microgreens optional for garnish
- ¼ cup hemp seeds (blend w/ soup) optional for extra protein
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds for topping optional
Instructions
- Place cashews in a heat-safe bowl. Cover with hot (boiling) water. Set aside to soak for about 15 minutes (or more) while preparing remaining ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Roughly chop the red bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion. Toss vegetables in 1 teaspoon olive oil and just a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables on a sheet pan.
- Slice just the tip off each garlic clove to expose the inner clove. This helps prevent it from exploding in the oven. Place the (unpeeled) garlic cloves on the sheet pan as well.
- Place tray of vegetables in oven for about 30-40 minutes or until starting to develop some color. Be sure to check the garlic often, starting around 20 minutes to ensure it isn't burning. The garlic usually cooks faster than the other vegetables, depending on the size of the cloves.
- For the cashew cream: drain the cashews and add to a blender. Add about ¼ cup water and blend. Continue adding water 1 Tablespoon at a time if needed to blend into a smooth cream. Season with salt, vinegar, and olive oil, then blend to combine. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside.
- For the soup: (no need to clean the blender - the remaining cashew cream adds flavor) Once the vegetables are done and cooled slightly, add to your blender, along with some of the broth and 1 can of cooked chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed. Blend until a smooth consistency has been reached, adding broth in two batches.
- Pour into 4 small soup bowls and top with a generous dollop of cashew cream. Feel free to garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and microgreens or chopped fresh herbs. I especially like to serve this soup with grilled cheese!
- Optional Pumpkin Seeds: In a dry skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring occasionally, until they develop a little bit of color, about 3 minutes. Drizzle with just a half a teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper then remove from pan to cool.
Notes
- double the chickpeas (you will also want to double the broth and may need to increase the salt)
- add ¼ cup hemp seeds when blending
- use chicken bone broth, which has 8-10 grams of protein per 1 cup
- top with plenty of toasted pumpkin seeds
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2013 and has been significantly updated as of 2023. You can access the PDF of the original recipe here: 2013 Tomato & Chickpea Soup.
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