This hearty soup Moroccan chickpea soup recipe is the perfect comforting meal on a chilly evening. Gently flavoured with harissa and a blend of aromatic spices, it will warm you from the inside out.
This hearty soup Moroccan-inspired chickpea soup recipe is the perfect comforting meal on a chilly evening. Gently flavoured with harissa and a blend of aromatic spices, it will warm you from the inside out. I like to serve it with extra harissa on top and some warm pitta or flatbread.
This is a very different dish than the harira-inspired soup recipe included in my cookbook “Less Meat, More Plants“. It is thicker, contains just a hint of tomato paste, and cooks in about half the time, which is ideal if you are in a rush.
Packed with plant-based proteins and vegetables, this soup is so delicious, I have been making it on repeat. It was inspired by a soup I ate in beautiful Marrakesh some years ago.
To build layers of flavours, I start with a traditional base of sauteed onion, carrot, and celery (a.k.a mirepoix), then add garlic, harissa paste, tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon, and smoked paprika.
As the weather gets colder, I tend to crave heartier meals so I have added some split red lentils to this Moroccan chickpea soup. They cook really quickly and give this soup a soft and creamy texture.
Spinach and chickpeas are added last, before the soup is seasoned with lemon juice and salt.
To thicken the soup, I like to blend about a third of it to a smooth texture. The pureed vegetables and lentils create a thicker consistency without the need for flour or cornflour, thus making this recipe gluten-free. This creates a velvety and silky base which contrasts nicely with the rest of the chunky ingredients.
Other warming soups to try
- Korean Tofu Soup Recipe
- Green Lentil Soup
- Mulligatawny Soup Recipe
- Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup
In this post
How to make this Moroccan chickpea soup recipe
Ingredients
To make this Moroccan chickpea soup you will need:
- olive oil
- onion
- carrots
- celery
- garlic
- harissa paste
- tomato paste
- cumin
- cinnamon
- smoked paprika
- split red lentils
- vegetable stock
- baby spinach
- can chickpea
- lemon
- salt
Step 1: Prepare the base
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, harissa, tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon, and smoked paprika.
Stir in the lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a lively simmer and cook uncovered until the lentils are cooked, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Step 2: Blend some of the soup
Scoop out about a third of the soup into a small saucepan and whizz with a handheld blender until smooth. (if you are using an upright blender, make sure the soup has cooled down before blending it). Return the blended portion of the soup to the stockpot.
Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients
Reheat the soup, stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the chickpeas.
Step 4: Season and serve
Season to taste with lemon juice and salt. Serve topped with extra harissa if desired.
Common questions about this Moroccan chickpea soup
You you can freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Make sure to cool it down completely before freezing in an airtight container.
The harissa brings a gentle heat to this soup. If you want to make this soup spicier, I recommend adding some extra harissa on top of the soup once it is served. You can also add some chili flakes, or a bit of cayenne pepper.
Yes, you can use green or brown lentils, however you will need to adjust the cooking time as they take longer than red split lentils to cook.
Watch how to make this Moroccan chickpea soup
I hope you enjoy this Moroccan chickpea soup recipe as much as I do. If you do make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Moroccan Chickpea Soup Recipe
Equipment
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 225 g carrots peeled and finely diced
- 2 large celery ribs finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 2 Tbsp harissa paste plus extra to serve
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 150 g split red lentils
- 1.25 l vegetable stock
- 125 g baby spinach leaves
- 400 g can chickpea drained
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes.2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 medium onion
- Add the carrots and celery, and cook for a couple of minutes.225 g carrots, 2 large celery ribs
- Add the garlic, harissa, tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and cook for a couple of minutes.4 garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp harissa paste, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Stir in the lentils and stock.150 g split red lentils, 1.25 l vegetable stock
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a lively simmer and cook uncovered until the lentils are cooked, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- Scoop out about a third of the soup into a small saucepan and whizz with a handheld blender until smooth. (if you are using an upright blender, make sure the soup has cooled down before blending it).
- Return the blended portion of the soup to the stockpot.
- Reheat the soup, stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.125 g baby spinach leaves
- Stir in the chickpeas.400 g can chickpea
- Season to taste with lemon juice and salt.Juice of 1 lemon, Salt to taste
- Serve topped with extra harissa if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Find this recipe online:
https://theflexitarian.co.uk/recipe-items/moroccan-chickpea-soup/
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