Moroccan Chickpea Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.This healthy Moroccan Chickpea Soup is a perfectly spiced, healthy and satisfying complete meal, high in protein and loaded with vegetables.
A few years ago I created this recipe using Masala Lentil Dip, one of my favorite products from Trader Joe’s. Sadly, they discontinued selling this product.
This meant I needed to get creative in the kitchen to recreate this soup, which is one of my family’s favorites, using my own spice blend while still maintaining all of the great flavor of the original.
Thanks to my extensive spice cabinet, I was able to create a version that was even more delicious than the one I made years ago!
This soup is hearty and satisfying, and truly is a complete meal. We saved the leftovers for dinner a couple nights later, and it tasted just as good as the first time we ate it when it was reheated!
Note: This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Dave Lieberman, but I’ve made a ton of modifications to make it more flavorful and more healthy – (I found the Dave Lieberman recipe a bit too bland for my taste! )
Tools and Equipment You’ll Need For This Recipe
How to Make Moroccan Chickpea Soup – Step by Step
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur.
Step 2: Add all of the spices and sauté a minute or so.
Step 3: Add tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, and sugar. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Stir well.
Step 4: Add broth. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is shy, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
Step 5: Remove soup from heat. Use an immersion/hand blender to blend the soup into a creamy consistency.
Step 6: Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper. Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot – ladle into bowls and eat with Greek Yogurt, Pita Chips, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, or any other toppings you like!
What makes Moroccan Chickpea Soup healthy?
- High in Plant Protein: One serving has 12.5 grams of plant protein from the chickpeas.
- Low in Fat and Calories: With 260 calories, and 5 grams of fat, this soup is naturally low in fat and calories.
- High in Fiber: Chickpeas and vegetables and naturally high in fiber. One serving has 12 grams of fiber, that’s nearly half of your daily recommended fiber intake.
- High in Vitamins and Nutrients: Naturally high in folate, and manganese, chickpeas also offer improved digestion, and help with weight management.
Will kids enjoy Moroccan Chickpea Soup?
This soup is smooth and easy for kids to enjoy. Reduce or eliminate the cayenne pepper to make it more kid friendly. I typically will reduce the cayenne in the main recipe, and just sprinkle on a little extra for myself after I have served my kids!
How do you store and keep Moroccan Chickpea Soup?
Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in an air tight container. If you choose to freeze this soup, transfer to a freezer safe container. This soup will freeze for 2-3 months. When ready to serve reheat on the stovetop on medium heat stirring periodically until completely warmed.
Are chickpeas good for weight loss?
Yes! Chickpeas are naturally low in fat and calories, while also being high in protein, fiber, vitamins and nutrients. This makes them a filling, nutrient-rich source that helps you feel fuller longer.
How do you serve Moroccan Chickpea Soup?
Serve with Greek Yogurt, Pita Chips, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, or any other toppings you like! Or, you can just eat it plain – which is how the husband likes it. I enjoy pairing it with a whole wheat baguette, and a fresh green salad for a complete meal.
Top Tips for Making Moroccan Chickpea Soup
- Drain and rinse chickpeas.
- If you don’t have baby spinach, you can use kale, swiss chard, collard greens or any leafy green you like!
- Use immersion blender if you prefer a smooth soup, or use less broth + mash with a potato masher for a chunkier soup.
- Serve with Greek Yogurt, pita chips, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, or some warm whole wheat fresh pita for dipping!
Be sure to check out these other chickpea recipes!
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Moroccan Chickpea Soup
This healthy Moroccan Chickpea Soup is a perfectly spiced healthy and satisfying complete meal, high in protein and loaded with vegetables.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 260kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less to taste
- 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout
- 1 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes
- 3 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
- 1 6oz box baby spinach chopped
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- additional salt & black pepper to taste, as needed
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur. Add all of the spices and saute a minute or so.
- Add tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, and sugar. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Stir well.
- Add broth. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is shy, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
- Remove soup from heat. Use an immersion/hand blender to blend the soup into a creamy consistency.
- Season again, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot – ladle into bowls and eat with Greek Yogurt, Pita Chips, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, or any other toppings you like!
Notes
Top Tips for Making Moroccan Chickpea Soup
- Drain and rinse chickpeas.
- If you don’t have baby spinach, you can use kale, swiss chard, collard greens or any leafy green you like!
- Use immersion blender if you prefer a smooth soup, or use less broth + mash with a potato masher for a chunkier soup.
- Serve with Greek Yogurt, pita chips, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, or some warm whole wheat fresh pita for dipping!
Nutrition
Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 12.5g | Fat: 5.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Sodium: 634mg | Potassium: 462.8mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 9.9g
This is a perfect soup for my meatless Mondays!! It looks so flavorful and healthy. I can’t wait to make it.
Thanks Katie! This is perfect for Meatless Mondays – super hearty and filling!
I’m a fan of Maroccan cusine and I love spices so this is my kinda dish.
Me too!! Moroccan spices are the best! Enjoy!
I often make a Moroccan chickpea stew, but I love the sound of this soup version.
Thanks Dannii! A stew sounds amazing too!
Such a filling, yummy, and healthy soup. I love all the spices used, it goes really well with chickpeas.
Yay! I agree the spices in this soup make it so flavorful!
I made this delicious chickpea soup this afternoon and served it with a fresh garden salad and sourdough bread. We had friends over for lunch, and everyone was raving about this recipe!
Hooray! I’m so happy to hear that Denay! Thanks for letting me know!
To say that I have a ton of chickpeas is an understatement. I have been looking for ways to use them and I love this recipe! We enjoyed it with dinner last night and it’s definitely a repeater. I also have been making a snack out of my extra garbanzo beans and I thought you might like it, too:
https://www.funnytummycafe.com/2013/03/22/crunchy-chickpeas-aka-roasted-garbanzo-beans-2/
Keep the deliciousness coming!
Thanks for sharing Kara! So glad you liked this recipe – I love making roasted garbanzo beans too – your recipe looks great!
I absolutely love the idea of one pot meals, these sound so yummy, thank you:)
Thanks so much Jaime!! I love one pot meals too – easy to make, easy to clean up 🙂 I’m sure you will love this recipe!
Wonderful recipe. Ever tried to prepare something healthy with green foods like spirulina or barley grass? Please let me know if you do so, I would love to see that too 🙂 Thanks a lot. Best regards.
Thanks Martin! I don’t think I’ve ever used those ingredients in a savory dish – but I definitely have in a green smoothie. And I agree, they are nutritional powerhouses!!
I made this tonight, and it was absolutely delicious! I couldn’t find the ras el hanout, but it turned out fantastic nonetheless. I’m snacking on some cold leftovers right now–it’s like a Moroccan gazpacho or hummus. Cold, it thickened up and would be incredible with some carrots or mushrooms dipped in it. Can’t wait to heat it up though and have more in the soup form for lunch tomorrow! Thanks Anjali!
Ohh yay! I’m so glad you liked it! And I LOVE your description of it cold – a Moroccan gazpacho or hummus is exactly what it’s like when it’s chilled!
This looks delicious and so perfect for the snowy Chicago weather! I usually eat chickpeas in salads but I’ll bet they’re just as good in soups. Thanks for sharing!
Aw thank you so much Meredith! It is definitely the perfect winter soup 🙂 I love chickpeas in soup – when they cook long enough they blend up really well. I actually even added them to an asparagus soup and blended the whole thing together – it made the soup feel creamy without adding cream! I’m sure you’ll love this recipe – you’ll have to let me know how it turns out!
This recipe is screaming my name. I had the good fortune of spending 2.5 weeks in Morocco and absolutely fell in love with the place…a large part due to the food. This soup looks full of flavor and is bursting with good health.
Oooh wow – Morocco is on my list of places to visit – I really want to go there! So good to hear that you enjoyed your time there. Enjoy this soup!! It will take you on a trip to Morocco from your kitchen 🙂
So true on the oil – I find that in many recipes I can use half the amount specified and it turns out fine. It’s different for baking, though,
Totally agree! You can’t really skimp on the oil for baking – but you can use healthy substitutions for part of it like applesauce and other things 🙂
Paul and I love Amazing Race! Every time we travel and are in a pinch, he hums the theme song.
As for the chick peas — that is one thing we can both agree on that is both delicious and healthy. I appreciate that it’s in soup-form.
Haha!! Omg my husband and I do that too! That is hilarious 🙂 We especially do it when we’re traveling and have flight delays hehe. I’m sure you’ll love this recipe!
YUM! I have canned chick peas in my pantry that have no purpose—I will try this for a meatless meal for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Yaay! This is absolutely perfect for those chickpeas just waiting to be blended into a soup 🙂 Enjoy!
Love these flavors!! I’m afraid to get hooked onto Amazing Race…I know it’s good!
haha yes – it’s definitely addicting – but so worth it once you start watching! 🙂
Wow. This sounds really perfect for fall!
Thanks so much Vijay!