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Bowls of chickpea chicken soup with a side of crusty bread, parsley, and lemon wedges.

Chickpea Chicken Soup

Author: Stephanie Kay

Made in one pot, this chickpea and chicken soup is a delicious and nutritious meal that is quick and easy to make. Serve it on its own or with a side of crusty bread for a healthy lunch or dinner.

  • Author: Stephanie Kay
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, warm the olive oil on medium-high heat, then add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender.
  2. Add the diced red bell pepper and garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until tender. Add the paprika, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt, and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, break up any large tomato chunks with a wooden spoon, and stir to coat the vegetable mixture.
  4. Pour in chicken broth, stirring to combine with the vegetables, then add raw chicken breasts to the pot, gently submerging them in broth.
  5. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through completely.
  6. Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts from the pot and place them on a cutting board, while continuing to cook the soup on a simmer. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
  7. Return the shredded chicken to the pot, along with the chickpeas, chopped spinach, and lemon juice, and give everything a good stir. Cook the soup on a low simmer for a final 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted.
  8. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as needed. If you find the soup too thick for your liking, just thin it with a bit more broth or water.
  9. The finished soup can be served immediately with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or cooled and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

To Make it in a Slow Cooker: Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker, except the chickpeas, spinach, and lemon juice, and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the slow cooker, place it on a cutting board, and shred it into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, along the with strained and rinsed chickpeas, chopped spinach, and lemon juice, give everything a good stir, and cook on high for a final 15-20 minutes until the chickpeas are warm and the spinach is wilted.

To Use Skinless Chicken Thighs: Swap the chicken breasts for 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Before step #1, place the chicken thighs on a cutting board and season both sides with salt and pepper. Warm the olive oil in the pot on medium-high heat, then add the chicken thighs and cook them for 3-4 minutes per side until lightly browned, then transfer them to a plate. Then proceed with the instructions as outlined, beginning with step #1, and return the chicken thighs to the pot as per step #4 in place of the chicken breasts. Once cooked, chop them into small pieces, instead of shredding them, as per step #6, then return them to the pot as per step #7.

To Use Leftover Chicken: Instead of adding the chicken breasts in step #4 and shredding them in step #6, simply add 4 cups of shredded chicken along with the chickpeas and spinach in step #7.

To Use Dried Chickpeas:  Add 1 1/2 cups of dry chickpeas to a large bowl, cover with room temperature water, and soak overnight or for at least 8 hours. Once soaked, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the soaked chickpeas, and cook them for 40 minutes to 1 hour until tender. Once cooked, strain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to the soup as per step #7.

To Use Fresh Tomatoes: Swap the canned crushed tomatoes for 4 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kaynutrition.com/chickpea-chicken-soup/