Hearty, homely and so quick to make, this chickpea and spinach soup is vibrant, delicious and healthy. It comes together in no time, and delivers that perfect balance of hearty and healthy in every spoonful. Perfect served with crusty bread.
This chickpea and spinach soup is everything I want in a bowl—hearty, wholesome, and packed with flavour. It’s made with simple ingredients like tinned chickpeas, fresh spinach, and a good glug of olive oil, simmered with warming spices for extra depth. The result is a cosy, nourishing soup that comes together quickly and feels like a hug in a bowl. Perfect for a chilly evening or when you need something filling but fuss-free. Plus, it keeps well, so it’s ideal for batch cooking or next-day lunches!
Chickpea and spinach soup has deep roots in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, where humble, hearty ingredients like legumes and leafy greens have long been staples of everyday meals. One of the most well-known traditional versions comes from Spain, particularly Andalusia, where it’s known as Potaje de Garbanzos con Espinacas. This rustic dish is often flavoured with garlic, paprika, and olive oil—ingredients that reflect the region’s Moorish and Arabic culinary influences. Across the Mediterranean, you’ll find similar variations, from Italian chickpea and chard broths to Turkish and Moroccan stews, all celebrating the nourishing, satisfying power of chickpeas and greens. It’s a dish that’s been adapted and passed down through generations—comforting, nutritious, and wonderfully versatile.
Who is this soup suitable for?
This spinach and chickpea soup is suitable for anyone who are vegetarian or vegan.
Ingredients for chickpea and spinach soup
- Chickpeas: small, round legumes with a nutty flavour.
- Spinach: a leafy green vegetable rich in iron, often used in salads, soups, and cooked dishes.
- Potato: starchy root vegetable that’s a staple in every home. Often boiled, mashed, or roasted.
- Leek: a long, green and white vegetable with a mild onion flavour.
- Spring onions: (known as scallions in the US) mild-flavoured onion with a small white bulb and long green stalks.
- Celery: pale green vegetable with a distinctive flavour, often eaten raw or used to add depth to soups and stews.
- Cumin: is a warm, earthy spice made from ground cumin seeds, commonly used in curries, stews, and spice blends.
- Tahini: a smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds, often used in Middle Eastern dishes like hummus.
How do you make chickpea soup?
This chickpeas and spinach soup could not be easier to make! Simply cook down the greens whilst you boil the potatoes to cook, then blend everything together before plating up and decorating with some lemon yogurt and sunflower seeds. Yum!
Step 1: Peel and roughly chop the potatoes, then place in a pot with water and boil to cook.
Step 2: Cook the chickpeas according to packet instructions. If using dried chickpeas, see notes in the post on how to prepare and cook them at home.
Step 3: Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the leek, spring onions, and celery, sweating on at low heat until softened.
Step 4: Add cumin to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Tip in the spinach and stock. Cook until the spinach has wilted.
Step 5: Carefully tip everything into a blender. Blitz it all with the chickpeas and tahini.
Step 6: To make the topping, in a small bowl mix together the yogurt and lemon juice.
Step 7: To plate up, spoon the soup into individual bowls. Top with spoonfuls of the yogurt mixture, swirling gently to make a pattern. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Serve and enjoy!
How to cook dried chickpeas
We prefer using dried chickpeas, but it takes a little additional organisation to prepare the night before making this soup with chickpeas and spinach. If you prefer, you can always use tinned chickpeas, which come already cooked and ready to use.
Prepare the chickpeas
If you are using dried chickpeas, you will need to soak them first. Rinse them thoroughly first, then place in a large bowl with plenty of water. The chickpeas will swell up to triple the size, so make sure to top the bowl up generously with water when soaking. We soak them overnight as they require at least twelve hours soaking time.
Cook the chickpeas: hob method
Once soaked, drain and rinse the chickpeas, then place in a large pot with plenty of water and a pinch of salt. Bring the water to boil, then reduce to a simmer and place a lid on askew to help keep the heat in the pot. Cook like this for 1.5-2 hours, checking and topping up the water levels as required, until the chickpeas are tender.
Cook the chickpeas: pressure cooker method
Alternatively, if you have a pressure cooker, you can cook them much quicker with this method. As previously, once soaked, drain and rinse them, then place them in the pressure cooker pot. Add water to an inch or so above the level of the chickpeas then place the lid on and set to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 15-16 minutes, followed by a natural release for 10 minutes.
Cooked chickpeas will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How do I store this soup?
Once cooled, store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Heat gently on the hob to warm up again before serving.
How long will this dish keep?
This chickpea and spinach soup recipe will keep stored in the fridge for up to two days. Alternatively, you could freeze the soup once cooked and cooled. If frozen, keep in the freezer for no more than three months. Make sure to defrost the soup overnight in the fridge before enjoying the following day.
What to serve with vegan chickpea and spinach soup
We love this soup served warm with crusty bread with lashings of butter!
Some tips for this chickpea soup
- Make sure to use the puree setting when whizzing up the soup. A blender with a chop option will not give you super smooth results. Alternatively, you could also blend it in a smoothie maker such as a Nutribullet.
- A little yogurt with some lemon juice to top the soup is entirely optional, but adds a lovely fresh zingy flavour to the dish. Would highly recommend!
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this spinach and chickpea soup recipe, please drop us a comment below, we would love to help. Additionally, if you enjoyed this soup recipe, we would love it if you would leave us a star rating and review below! Thanks so much!
Thanks for joining us today friends! We hope you love this hearty chickpea and spinach soup as much as we do! Until next time!
Spinach and Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
For the soup
- 200 g potatoes
- 240 g chickpeas From a 400g tin or cooked at home
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek approx 150g in weight
- 2 spring onions
- 1 stick celery 75g
- 2 tsp cumin
- 500 g spinach
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp tahini
For the decoration
- 100 g yogurt
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- olive oil
- 3 tsp sunflower seeds
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 food processor with a puree option
- 1 kitchen knife
Instructions
- Peel and roughly chop the potatoes, then place in a pot with water and boil to cook.200 g potatoes
- Cook the chickpeas according to packet instructions. If using dried chickpeas, see notes in the post on how to prepare and cook them at home.240 g chickpeas
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the leek, spring onions, and celery, sweating on at low heat until softened.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 leek , 2 spring onions, 1 stick celery
- Add cumin to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Tip in the spinach and stock. Cook until the spinach has wilted.2 tsp cumin, 500 g spinach, 500 ml vegetable stock
- Carefully tip everything into a blender. Blitz it all with the chickpeas and tahini.1 tbsp tahini
- To make the topping, in a small bowl mix together the yogurt and lemon juice.100 g yogurt, 3 tsp lemon juice
- To plate up, spoon the soup into individual bowls. Top with spoonfuls of the yogurt mixture, swirling gently to make a pattern. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Serve and enjoy!olive oil, 3 tsp sunflower seeds
Notes
- Make sure to use the puree setting when whizzing up the soup. A blender with a chop option will not give you super smooth results. Alternatively, you could also blend it in a smoothie maker such as a Nutribullet.
- A little yogurt with some lemon juice to top the soup is entirely optional, but adds a lovely fresh zingy flavour to the dish. Would highly recommend!
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @ourjazkitchen on Instagram.