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Vegetarian, Meal soups and plant based

Chickpea soup with cumin and grilled pita

Chickpea soup with cumin and grilled pita is a vegetarian dish for 4 people, ready in 40 minutes, rated very easy, at €1.40 per person. The key to its texture is mashing part of the chickpeas at the end of cooking, which thickens the soup without cream or a blender. Grilled pita strips are served alongside for dipping.

A thick chickpea soup with tomato and cumin, just the right consistency, with grilled pita for dipping.

Chickpea soup with cumin and grilled pita
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€1.40
Calories per person
670 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter
The kids
They generally like it

This soup has the texture of a rustic puree, thick but not perfectly smooth, with whole chickpeas still giving it some bite. Cumin and paprika bring a warm, rounded flavor, while the tomato adds the acidity that balances everything out. It's a comforting bowl rather than a light one, made for cool fall and winter evenings.

This is a weeknight soup, the kind you start right when you get home for a hot dinner without spending the whole evening on it. Kids tend to like it because it's mild and easy to dip pita strips into like soldiers. Mon Chou keeps it on the list of dinners that come together almost without thinking.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Canned chickpeasoften in the pantry 480 g
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Ground cuminoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Vegetable brothoften in the pantry 75 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Parsley 1 sprigs

Bakery

  • Pita bread 4

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.

    Save the liquid from the can, it can be used to thin the soup later if needed.

  2. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in the oil with the cumin and paprika. 5 min

    Don't go past two minutes, the spices burn fast and turn bitter.

  3. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and broth, then let simmer. 20 min

    Keep the heat low, the soup reduces and turns creamy on its own.

  4. Mash part of the chickpeas, then season with salt and pepper.

    A potato masher is all you need, there's no reason to pull out a blender.

  5. Grill the pita cut into strips and serve with the soup, topped with parsley. 3 min

    Brush the pita strips with a little oil, they crisp up nicely in the oven or in a skillet.

Our tips to get it right

  • Use good quality canned crushed tomatoes, since they're the only fresh vegetable element in the whole soup and really carry the flavor.
  • Let the soup simmer gently for the full 20 minutes, that's what concentrates the flavor and softens the canned chickpeas properly.
  • Taste before serving and adjust the salt, since canned chickpeas are sometimes already salted depending on the brand.

The variations

  • Swap the vegetable broth for chicken broth if you don't need to keep the dish vegetarian.
  • For a spicier version, add a pinch of chili powder at the same time as the cumin and paprika.
  • For impatient kids, blend the whole soup instead of mashing just part of it, it turns fully smooth and gets eaten faster.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with plenty of lemon
  • Crumbled fresh cheese on top
  • A drizzle of olive oil before serving

Storage

The soup keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well for up to 2 months, without the pita. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you use dried chickpeas instead of canned?

Yes, soak them overnight and cook them for about 45 minutes before following the rest of the recipe. About 160g of dried chickpeas will replace the 480g of canned ones.

Can you make this soup ahead of time?

Yes, it actually tastes even better reheated the next day once the flavors have had time to blend. Make the soup without the pita, then grill the pita fresh right before serving.

Do you need a blender for this soup?

No, a simple potato masher or the back of a fork is enough to mash part of the chickpeas. That's the one simple move that thickens the whole soup.

What can you use instead of pita bread?

Toasted sandwich bread or homemade croutons both work well for dipping into the soup. The main thing is having something crisp to scoop it up with.

How long does it take to make a chickpea soup with tomato and cumin, served with grilled pita?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a chickpea soup with tomato and cumin, served with grilled pita?

About 670 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chickpea soup with tomato and cumin, served with grilled pita cost?

About €1.40 per serving, or €5.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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