Italian Chickpea Soup with Parmesan
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This Italian Chickpea Soup made with rosemary, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and parmesan is a simple recipe with wonderful Tuscan flavors that’s packed with fiber and protein.
This Italian Chickpea Soup recipe carries a bit of nostalgia for me. Not only is it one of the first dishes I made when I started cooking, but it brings me back to my vacations in Tuscany – where the inspiration for this soup comes from. The first time I made this recipe, I remember how apprehensive I was making soup from scratch (which I had never done before), and how my husband had to be my cheerleader pushing me along.
I also remember the disasters along the way:
- Putting hot soup into a blender (filling it all the way up), not knowing that the hot soup expands when you turn on the blender, and having chickpea soup explode all over my kitchen – that was a funny (and also mortifying) moment.
- Using a pot that was too small for the soup to begin with, causing soup to splash all over the newly cleaned stove – that my husband had literally cleaned an hour before
- Thinking that dinner would be ready by 8pm, but after the disasters and being somewhat of an inexperienced cook, eating dinner around 9:30pm.
Fast forward many years later, and how times have changed!
Soup from scratch is one of my go-to recipes for quick and healthy meals, and thanks to my immersion blender, that blending accident is a distant memory. This dish is actually not a difficult recipe at all, I think my nerves and inexperience just got the better of me that first time around.
Oh and did I mention, even with the first-timer cooking accidents, this soup was absolutely delicious. It is tasty, warming and has a great mediterranean flavor. It also packs a nutritional punch with the fiber and protein from the chickpeas, and lycopene from the tomatoes.
To all those new cooks out there – I encourage you to try this recipe. It might seem a little daunting at first but once you make it and it turns out to be delicious (and I promise, it will), you’ll have a newfound confidence in the kitchen!
Kitchen Tools and Equipment You’ll Need to Make Tuscan Italian Chickpea Soup
How to Make Italian Chickpea Soup – Step by Step
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven (or a large pot) over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 2: Stir in the water, rosemary, salt, pepper, chickpeas, and tomatoes.
Step 3: Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Step 4: Place 2 cups of soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. (Note: the other alternative here is to use an immersion blender as you see in the photos below – it works more quickly and is a lot less messy!)
Step 5: If using a blender, return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Step 6: Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.
What makes this Italian Chickpea Soup healthy?
- High in Fiber: The chickpeas in this soup give it lots of fiber which improves digestion and helps you feel fuller longer.
- High in Protein: One serving of this soup has 13 grams of plant protein! That’s almost 20% of your recommended daily protein. This is why chickpeas are an excellent replacement for animal protein if you’re on a vegan or vegetarian diet.
- Low-Fat and Low-Calorie: With less than 10 grams of fat, and under 400 calories this is a heart healthy low calorie meal.
- High in Vitamins and Minerals: Chickpeas contain folate, iron, phosphorous, copper, and manganese. And the tomatoes in this soup are rich in lycopene!
Will kids enjoy this Italian Chickpea Soup?
My kids adore this soup because it’s creamy, cheesy, and flavorful, and filling. The flavors are mild, and the soup is smooth, just the way they like it! This recipe makes 6 huge servings, so we have some for leftovers, and the kids asked for it for lunch the next day!
How long do you soak dried chickpeas?
If you decide to use dried chickpeas instead of canned chickpeas you’ll want to soak your chickpeas overnight or for at least 12 hours. Cover the chickpeas completely with cold water in a large bowl. You can add a tsp of baking soda to help with the soaking process if you choose.
What do chickpeas taste like?
Chickpeas have a nutty flavor. When blended such as in this soup they take on a creamy texture. They are a hearty bean. When eaten plain they have a bit of a grainy texture that is lost in the blending process.
What do you serve with Italian Chickpea Soup?
This soup is filling and hearty on its own, but you can add some vegetables or grains on the side for more good nutrients and vitamins. Here are a few of my favorites.
- Grilled asparagus
- Tossed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette
- Steamed broccoli
- Roasted root vegetables
- Homemade whole grain garlic bread (made with fresh garlic and grass fed butter!)
Top Tips for Making Italian Chickpea Soup
- Use a large dutch oven or stock pot. This recipe makes a lot of soup!
- Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil before adding other ingredients. Be careful not to burn the onions, and cook until translucent.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas before adding them to the soup.
- If using a counter top blender, don’t make the same mistake I did the first time and fill the blender to the top with soup! It will expand and you’ll have a messy kitchen.
- Scoop 2 cups at a time into the blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot to save you time and mess!
- For some additional greens in the soup, add in 6oz of fresh baby spinach before pureeing it. You won’t be able to taste the spinach at all and you’ll get some extra nutrients! If you do add in spinach I recommend adjusting the salt pepper and rosemary to taste.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THESE OTHER HEALTHY SOUP RECIPES!
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
- Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup
- Soothing Garlic Chickpea Soup by Two Purple Figs
- Hearty Chickpea Soup by An Italian in My Kitchen
If you have tried this Italian Chickpea Soup recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
Italian Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups water or low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 45 oz chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 3 cans
- 15 oz diced tomatoes, undrained 1 can
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 6 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese 1 1/2 ounces
- 6 oz fresh baby spinach chopped, optional if you want extra greens
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven (or a large pot) over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the water, rosemary, salt, pepper, tomatoes, and drained and rinsed chickpeas, and bring to a boil. Note: If using spinach, add it in here. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
- Place 2 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour the pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 cups soup. (Note: the other alternative here is to use a hand blender – it works a lot more quickly and is a lot less messy!)
- If using a blender, return all pureed soup to pan.
- Stir in the vinegar, and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat. Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.
Notes
- Use a large dutch oven or stock pot. This recipe makes a lot of soup!
- Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil before adding other ingredients. Be careful not to burn the onions, and cook until translucent.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas before adding them to the soup.
- If using a counter top blender, don’t make the same mistake I did the first time and fill the blender to the top with soup! It will expand and you’ll have a messy kitchen.
- Scoop 2 cups at a time into the blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot to save you time and mess!
- For some additional greens in the soup, add in 6oz of fresh baby spinach before pureeing it. You won’t be able to taste the spinach at all and you’ll get some extra nutrients! If you do add in spinach I recommend adjusting the salt pepper and rosemary to taste.
