Name: Vegan Creamy Lentil Chickpea Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2-3 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth; 1 medium red onion (diced); 2 medium celery stalks; 4 garlic cloves (minced); 1 tbsp Italian seasonings; 1 tsp cumin; 1/4 tsp turmeric; 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; (2) 14 oz cans chickpeas (rinsed and drained); (2) 14 oz cans green lentils (rinsed and drained); 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 2 cups water ((or vegetable broth)); 10 oz frozen spinach; (1) 9 oz jar artichoke hearts in water (roughly chopped); (1) 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk; 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice ((about 1/2 of a large lemon, add more to taste))

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This vegan creamy lentil chickpea soup is loaded with tender artichokes, protein and fiber-rich legumes, spinach, and the most flavorful golden broth. This easy to make soup is made in one pot and it’s ready in 40 minutes! Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

What makes this lentil chickpea soup recipe so special? Well, it’s easy to make (always a bonus!), the unique combination of flavors is addicting (literally, I just went back for thirds), you only need one pot to make it (score!), and it’s freezer-friendly!

You’re going to love the combination of hearty chickpeas, lentils, artichoke hearts and spinach, seasoned with the perfect balance of warm, earthy spices, and fresh lemon juice. It’s truly delicious!

You should enjoy this vegan chickpea soup with thick slices of crusty bread and a roasted potato that’s piled high with a dollop of vegan sour cream and extra chives! Are you getting hungry yet? I am!

After you make this delicious vegan soup, you should try this Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Basil Soup, Vegetable Lasagna Soup, One-Pot Sweet Potato Lentil Chili, Spicy Thai Red Curry Cauliflower Soup, and this 30-Minute Garden Vegetable Barley Soup.

Are Chickpeas Good For You?

This chickpea soup is so good for you! It’s loaded with protein-packed chickpeas and lentils, as well as fiber-rich artichokes, and immune system boosting lemon juice and garlic. You can learn more about the health benefits of chickpeas, here.

How Long do You Have to Soak Chickpeas?

This soup recipe calls for canned chickpeas to save time. If you’d rather use dried chickpeas, put the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with two inches of water and let them soak for 8 hours. If you don’t have time for that, you can cook dried chickpeas in an instant pot (I do this a lot!) in less than one hour.

How to Make Chickpea Soup

Step #1 – In a 6-quart dutch oven (or large pot) over medium heat, sauté the diced red onion and celery in 2-3 tbsp of low-sodium vegetable broth until translucent. Add the garlic, Italian seasonings, ground cinnamon turmeric, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Stir and let it cook for 1 minute (Photos 1-3).

Step #2 – Add the cooked lentils, cooked chickpeas, low-sodium vegetable broth, and water. Bring the soup to a low simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook for 20 minutes (Photos 4-5).

Step #3 – Stir in the artichoke hearts, coconut milk, frozen spinach, and lemon juice. Let the soup cook for 5 more minutes or until the spinach has fully defrosted and the soup is hot (Photos 6-8).

Step #4 – (Optional) Use an immersion blender to blend a little bit of the soup (pulse it on high for about 1 minute) to help thicken the soup before serving (Photo 9). Remove the bay leaf before you use the blender! Be careful not to over blend the soup.

Step #5 – Garnish each bowl with more crushed red pepper flakes and a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper.

Is This Soup Spicy?

No, this soup recipe is not spicy at all. I only used 1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes to add flavor, not heat. If you’d like to make this a spicy chickpea soup, you can add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or add sliced vegan chorizo (I like the Field Roast vegan sausages) for a spicy kick.

How Do You Thicken This Soup?

I used canned coconut milk in this garbanzo soup to make the broth extra creamy. The next step is optional, (but I highly recommend that you do it!) you can use an immersion blender to blend a little bit of the soup (only for about a minute) to make the soup super thick and rich. Just make sure that you remove the bay leaf before you use the immersion blender.

Can You Freeze Leftover Soup?

Yes, you can freeze the leftover chickpea soup for a future meal. When you’re ready to prepare it, put the frozen soup in the fridge to defrost overnight. Then you can reheat the leftover soup in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Notes & Substitutions

Dried or Canned: If you would like to use dried lentils or dried chickpeas instead of canned, you will need to cook 1 cup of both dried french lentils and dried chickpeas.
French Lentils Substitutions: You could also use brown or green lentils. Red lentils would taste good too but they would be very soft and won’t hold their shape as well.
Chickpea Substitutions: You could use great northern beans, pinto beans, or black-eyed peas.
Spinach Substitutions: I used frozen spinach because it was a better price than buying fresh spinach, but you can use either. Sliced kale, swiss chard, or collard greens would also be delicious if you don’t want to use spinach.
Add More Vegetables: You could also add sliced cremini mushrooms, butternut squash, or sliced carrots to the soup.
Reduce the Sodium: Squeeze the brine out of each artichoke before you chop it because there is extra unnecessary sodium in the brine.
Remove the bay leaf: If you want to use the immersion blender, make sure that you remove the bay leaf before you blend the soup. Bay leaves edges are very sharp and can be dangerous if ingested!

Success Tips

Use canned chickpeas and lentils to save time. (Or use dried lentils and dried chickpeas to save money. Either option will work for this recipe.)
This soup is oil-free, so make sure that you use jarred artichokes in water (not oil) to keep it WFPB. This is my favorite brand of oil-free artichoke hearts.
Put the canned coconut milk in the fridge for one hour to help it separate. You only want to add the thick, white, creamy coconut milk to the soup and then you should discard the water (or add it to a smoothie or chickpea curry).
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup (at the end) for about one minute to help thicken the soup. Just be careful to not blend the soup too much, it should be very chunky!
Store the leftover soup in an airtight glass container in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze it for a future meal.