Chickpea Soup served in a bowl
Chickpea soup is suitable for both winter and summer. It's very tasty and filling, ideal for those on a diet.
The streaky bacon aside, this is a very healthy soup because of the benefits of chickpeas. They contain a large amount of very good dietary fibre and trace elements. Of course, that's all irrelevant if they don't taste good. But our chickpea soup has masses of flavour and we guarantee that you'll make this soup more than once.
When you have tried this chickpea soup, experiment with other variations we have also cooked: Moroccan Chickpea Soup, Chickpea and Lentil Chilli Soup and finally Chickpea and Tomato Soup.
Ingredients for Chickpea Soup
2 large (400g) cans of chickpeas (with liquid)
1 large (400g) tin of chopped tomatoes
6 rashers of streaky bacon
600ml / 1 pint vegetable stock
1 medium onion
1 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves
Quarter teaspoon dried rosemary or half a teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
If using fresh rosemary, finely chop it
Peel, top and tail then finely chop the onion and garlic cloves
Chop the bacon into small pieces.
We list canned chickpeas in our recipe because it's so convenient. It is possible however to buy dried chickpeas in packets. These are equally suitable for this recipe but typically they will require soaking in water for eight hours or more. All very well if you can plan ahead but not so good if you make meal decisions just before cooking.
Add the olive oil to a frying pan (skillet) on medium heat then add the bacon and onions. Fry for about 12 minutes until the onions have softened and the bacon is cooked. Turn the ingredients every couple of minutes to cook them evenly. Transfer the onions and bacon to a large pan.
Add all the remaining ingredients except the balsamic vinegar and let the soup simmer for 25 minutes.
Frying bacon and onion for Chickpea Soup
Put half the soup in a food processor and blend for one minute. Return the blended soup to the pan, stir in the balsamic vinegar and simmer for 2 minutes to fully re-heat the soup.
Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to your taste. Serve the chickpea soup into warm bowls accompanied by chunky bread.