Lebanese Chickpea Soup
Lebanese chickpea soup is a warming, Middle Eastern-inspired comfort soup built on chickpeas, potatoes, and carrots simmered in a light veggie broth and seasoned with a fragrant homemade baharat spice blend. It is naturally vegan, deeply savory, and filling enough to stand on its own as a meal, finished with lemon juice and fresh parsley.
This soup is part of the Middle Eastern cuisine challenge I am hosting on the blog this month, where you will see dozens of popular Lebanese recipes, some traditionally vegetarian and others veganized by myself. I wanted to start with this chickpea soup because it is such a popular, everyday dish in Lebanon, and it is the kind of bowl that shows off exactly what makes this cuisine special: humble vegetables turned into something layered and aromatic by a careful hand with spices.
What I love about it is how the warm spices do all the heavy lifting. You start with the most basic pantry vegetables, but the moment you stir in that freshly roasted blend of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and coriander, the whole pot smells like something that has been cooking for hours. It comes together in well under an hour, which is why it has become one of my reliable weeknight soups.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A filling, one-pot vegan dinner that does not rely on pasta or rice to fill you up
- A way to use a can or batch of cooked chickpeas beyond hummus and salads
- A cozy, brothy soup for cold days that still feels bright and fresh thanks to lemon and parsley
- An easy introduction to Lebanese flavors and the warm baharat spice blend
- A meal-prep soup that tastes even better the next day, once the spices have settled in
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is naturally vegan and high in plant protein. Two cups of cooked chickpeas give the soup real staying power, so a bowl actually keeps you full rather than leaving you hungry an hour later.
- The spice blend is the star. Dry-roasting the baharat spices before they hit the pot deepens their aroma and gives the broth a complexity that a quick simmer alone cannot match.
- It is a true one-pot meal. Everything builds in a single saucepan, so the flavors layer on top of each other and cleanup stays minimal.
- It is endlessly forgiving. Use water instead of broth, swap the potatoes, adjust the chili flakes; the structure holds up to whatever you have on hand.
- It tastes like it simmered for hours. The combination of tomato paste, roasted spices, and a finish of lemon and parsley gives you that long-cooked depth in under an hour.
Ingredient Notes
Chickpeas are the backbone of this soup, and I use two cups of cooked chickpeas. If you cook them from dry, soak them overnight and simmer until they are tender but still hold their shape, because mushy chickpeas will fall apart in the broth. Canned chickpeas work well too; drain and rinse them to wash off the starchy liquid that can cloud the soup and leave a tinny taste.
The baharat spice blend is what makes this soup unmistakably Lebanese. It brings together cinnamon, ground cloves, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, ginger powder, and finely ground red peppercorns. Buy whole spices where you can and grind them fresh, since pre-ground spices lose their volatile oils fast and turn flat. If yours have been sitting in the cupboard for over a year, replace them; tired spices are the most common reason a spiced soup tastes dull.
Potatoes and carrots give the soup its body and natural sweetness. Cube the potatoes evenly so they cook at the same rate, and choose a variety that holds its shape rather than a floury baking potato that will dissolve into the broth. Slice the carrots a little thinner than the potato cubes so everything finishes tender at the same time.
Tomato, in two forms, builds the savory base: one large diced fresh tomato cooked down early, plus a tablespoon of tomato paste added with the broth. The paste is concentrated, so it delivers a deeper, slightly sweet umami punch than the fresh tomato alone. Let the diced tomato break down properly before moving on so it melts into the soup instead of floating in chunks.
Veggie broth and water form the liquid. I use three cups of light homemade veggie broth plus a cup of water, but you can replace the broth entirely with water and let the spices carry the flavor. A lighter broth is intentional here; you want it delicate enough that the baharat and lemon come through clearly rather than competing with a heavy stock.
Lemon juice and fresh parsley are the finishing touch, and they are not optional in my book. Stirred in at the very end, off the heat, the lemon lifts the whole pot and cuts through the warm spices, while the parsley adds freshness and color. The nutritional yeast sprinkled on top adds a subtle savory, cheesy note and a little extra B-vitamin boost.
Tips
- Dry-roast the spices first, and watch them closely. Toast the baharat blend in the dry pan over medium heat for about a minute, just until they smell fragrant and toasty. You will know they are ready when the aroma blooms; pull them off the heat the moment that happens, because spices go from fragrant to bitter and scorched in seconds.
- Soften the onions and garlic, do not brown them. Saute them for about two minutes until soft and translucent. Browned garlic turns harsh and slightly bitter, which throws off the gentle, warm-spiced profile you are after.
- Add the lemon juice off the heat. Turn the burner off before stirring in the lemon. Boiling lemon juice dulls its brightness and can make it taste flat, so that final squeeze is what keeps the soup tasting fresh.
- Let it rest before serving. After the lemon and parsley go in, put the lid on and let the soup sit for about five minutes. This short rest lets the flavors marry and the chickpeas absorb the broth, so each bowl tastes more cohesive.
- Taste and adjust the heat at the end. The chili flakes and red peppercorns build a gentle warmth, but spice tolerance varies. Start light and add more at the finish if you want it punchier.
Substitutions and Variations
- No homemade broth? Replace the three cups of veggie broth entirely with water, as noted in the recipe. The baharat blend, tomato paste, and chickpeas carry plenty of flavor on their own; just taste and add a little extra salt at the end.
- Swap the potatoes. Sweet potatoes work beautifully here and lean into the warm spices, or use a peeled, cubed butternut squash for a sweeter, silkier result.
- Make it heartier. Stir in a handful of greens such as spinach or chopped kale in the last few minutes of simmering, or add a scoop of cooked rice or bulgur to each bowl to stretch it further.
- Adjust the spice profile. If you do not have every baharat spice, lean on the cinnamon, coriander, and cloves as your base; those three carry most of the character. A pinch of ground allspice is a fine stand-in if you are missing one of the warm spices.
Storage and Make Ahead
This soup keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, and it is one of those dishes that genuinely improves overnight as the spices settle into the broth. Reheat it gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth if it has thickened, and brighten it with a fresh squeeze of lemon and a little parsley just before serving. It also freezes well for up to three months; cool it completely first, then thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
If you want to make it ahead, you can prep the baharat blend and chop all the vegetables in advance so the soup comes together in minutes when you are ready to cook. For more cozy bowls along these lines, try my vegan red lentil soup or this hearty veggie soup perfect for cold winter days. And if you are cooking through this month’s Middle Eastern cuisine challenge with me, this chickpea soup is a great place to start. If you give it a try, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @gourmandelleblog with the hashtag #gourmandellerecipe, and I will feature you on my Facebook page or Instagram Stories.
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Lebanese Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion large, sliced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 potato medium, cubed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups chickpeas cooked
- 1 tomato large, diced
- 3 cups light homemade veggie broth or replace with water
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- ½ lemon lemon juice juiced
- 1 handful fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
For the Baharat powder:
- ½ tsp cinnamon ground
- ½ tsp cloves ground
- ⅓ tsp cardamom ground
- ½ tsp coriander seeds ground
- ½ tsp nutmeg grated
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 ½ tsp red peppercorns finely ground
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Dry roast all the baharat spices for about a minute, until fragrant, then set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in the saucepan.
- Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the diced tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 more minutes.
- Add the carrots and potatoes and continue to cook.
- Add the baharat powder you roasted separately and the bay leaf, and saute the vegetables for a few more minutes to combine the juices, flavors, and spices.
- Add the broth, tomato paste, paprika powder, chili flakes, and water; stir until well combined, turn the heat up to high, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the cooked chickpeas.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
- Turn the heat off, stir in the lemon juice and some chopped parsley, and put the lid on.
- Let it rest for about 5 minutes.
- Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley and nutritional yeast flakes (optional).
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Lebanese chickpea soup is built on cooked chickpeas, potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic simmered in a light veggie broth. What sets it apart is a homemade baharat spice blend of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, and ginger, plus fresh tomato and tomato paste. It is finished with lemon juice and fresh parsley for brightness.
Yes, this version is fully vegan. It uses olive oil and a vegetable broth, with no dairy, eggs, or honey anywhere in the recipe. The optional nutritional yeast sprinkled on top is also plant-based and adds a savory, cheesy note without any animal products.
Baharat is a warm Middle Eastern spice blend, and here it includes cinnamon, ground cloves, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, ginger powder, and finely ground red peppercorns. Dry-roasting it before cooking deepens the aroma. If you are missing one or two spices, lean on cinnamon, coriander, and cloves, since they carry most of the character.
Yes, canned chickpeas work well and save time. Drain and rinse them first to wash off the starchy canning liquid, which can cloud the broth and add a tinny taste. The recipe calls for about two cups of cooked chickpeas, which is roughly the amount in one to one and a half standard cans.
Stored in an airtight container, this soup keeps in the fridge for up to four days and often tastes even better the next day as the spices settle in. Reheat it gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth if it has thickened, and refresh it with a squeeze of lemon and parsley before serving.
Yes. You can replace the three cups of veggie broth entirely with water, as the recipe notes. The baharat spice blend, tomato paste, and chickpeas provide plenty of flavor on their own, so the soup still tastes rich. Just taste at the end and add a little extra salt if needed.
You don’t add salt at all?
I don’t find it necessary because of all those flavorful spices.
This was so flavorful! Love Middle Eastern recipes!
Yup, me too! 😀