This Spanish style Garbanzo bean soup is creamy and rich – without a lick of cream! Flavored with roasted peppers and smoked paprika, this easy vegan soup is ready in about 20 minutes thanks to a “secret ingredient”!
Table of contents
The BEST Bean Soup Recipe!
Soup is pretty much my “go-to” meal when I am pressed for time and/or haven’t really thought about dinner. With a few basics in the pantry and fridge I can always put together a pot of this Easy Lentil Soup or this warm and comforting Chicken and Leek Soup.
But this Spanish Garbanzo Bean Soup? This one is the clear winner in the “quick and easy” category hands down!
The “secret” to this chickpea soup is hummus! The ingredients in hummus (pureed garbanzo beans, tahini, and olive oil) make a perfect base for this creamy soup! I know some of you are thinking… “ugh… hummus in soup? no thanks”! But it works. Really!
Let’s put it this way.. if you love tomato or roasted red pepper soup, you are going to love this soup because that is exactly what it tastes like…creamy, rich with that lovely savoriness of tomatoes and peppers.
Wow. Fast, healthy, super easy to make and delicious! My daughters (13 & 17 year old foodies) loved it!!
ACT reader Andrea!
Garbanzo Bean Soup Ingredients:
- Plain Hummus – you can use storebought or homemade.
- Vegetable stock – I use Better than Bouillon but use whatever vegetable stock brand you like.
- Roasted Red Bell Peppers – I use Trader Joe’s brand but any brand will work.
- Sherry or red wine vinegar – Sherry vinegar is a staple in my kitchen – it’s warm, nutty flavor makes a delicious salad dressing and it’s amazing sprinkled over a tray of roasted vegetables!
- Smoked paprika – smoked paprika is used in both Spanish and Hungarian cuisine and both versions work beautifully in this soup!
- Tomato paste
How to make this Garbanzo Bean Soup:
This is why I think this is the best Garbanzo bean soup recipe – it’s sooo easy to make!
- Combine all the ingredients except the stock in a blender or food processor.
- Add the pureed ingredients to a soup pot or dutch oven and stir in the stock.
- Heat over medium-high heat until heated through.
- Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if needed.
- Garnish with a little smoked paprika and a drizzle of good olive oil (totally optional but soooo good!!)
Can you freeze garbanzo bean soup?
This soup freezes very well. You can freeze it before heating, or freeze any leftover soup you have. Let the soup cool and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in the microwave!
Garbanzo Soup Variations:
There are almost infinite ways to change up this soup – here are a few of my favorite variations!
- Mexican: – substitute fresh lime juice for the vinegar. Substitute fresh salsa for the red peppers. Replace the smoked paprika with chili powder.
- Spicy: Add a quarter teaspoon (or more!) to the recipe for a spicy kick!
What to serve with this soup!
This soup recipe is delicious on its own or as part of a meal! Try serving it with….
- Flatbreads – this easy, no yeast flatbreads take minutes to make!
- Moroccan Chicken – lemon and olives flavor this easy Chicken Tangine recipe.
- Chicken Contadina – tender chicken topped with a luscious white wine, garlic and herb sauce – a weeknight one-pan meal!
- Shrimp Louie – the classic shrimp salad makes for an epic “soup and salad” meal!
If you enjoyed this recipe, I would LOVE for you to give it a 5-star rating! Cheers! Nancy
15 Minute Creamy Chickpea Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup drained roasted red peppers
- 1 cup hummus
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac optional
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
- 2 cups vegetable stock
Instructions
- In a food processoror blender, combine the roasted peppers, hummus, tomato paste, cayenne, smoked paprika, ground sumac (if using) and sherry vinegar. Blend until peppers are pureed and the mixture is smooth.
- transfer mixture to a medium saucepan and stir in two cups of vegetable stock. Heat over medium high heat for 4 – 6 minutes until the soup is hot.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with canned garbanzo beans, sliced roasted red bell peppers and fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Make up to 3 days in advance: You can make this recipe up to 3 days in advance. After pureeing the soup, combine it with the vegetable stock and store, covered in the refrigerator. Transfer to a large saucepan or soup pot and heat over medium high heat until hot.
- How to Freeze this soup:Tranfer the soup to a lidded container and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and heat as instructed above. NOTE: If the soup seems to have separated, blend in a blender or food processor and then re heat as directed above.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: This soup is hearty enough for a main course – serve it with some crusty bread or pita and a large salad. I love serving it with this Quinoa Salad.
I love roasted red pepper hummus, so I can’t think of any reason why I wouldn’t like this soup! Great idea. 🙂
Thanks Judy! Hope you enjoy the soup!!!
This is another of those things I’d have never thought of – hummus in soup. But, it sounds really interesting! Thanks, Nancy, for always having such creative recipes!
Aww… thanks Lana!! My husband does NOT like hummus but he loved this soup… go figure!!!
This looks delicious. I recently added hummus to a carrot/ginger/lime soup and it was incredible. Can’t wait to try your version. 🙂
I think you will like it Janet – I was a little surprised by how creamy it was – enjoy!
Wow. Fast, healthy, super easy to make and delicious! My daughters (13 & 17 year old foodies) loved it!!
Hello Andrea!!
So happy you and your daughters enjoyed it!!!
my soup ended up in deep in curry territory…soooooo good! it wouldn’t even have gotten started without your recipe as a general roadmap…thank you for posting!
So glad you liked the soup….. I adore curry and I bet with your version I would have licked the bowl clean!!!
Nancy, this soup is so intriguing with the hummus in it! I bet it tastes amazing! Love the roasted red peppers, as well!
It’s amazingly good! My students make this every semester in my Vegetarian nutrition class and they are always amazed at how delicious it is!
I love how creamy this soup is! Such a great idea and delicious combination of ingredients. I love it!
Thanks Valentina – we make it every semester in my Vegetarian nutrition class and the students love it!!