This one-pot North African Chickpea Soup is packed with bold flavors and tender chickpeas. The warming spices will transport your taste buds to the vibrant streets of Morocco. If you're a fan of harissa, you may also like our Vegan Harissa Sauce.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- 🕗 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 15 minutes
- ⏰ Total Time: 25 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 4
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy one-pot recipe – saute onions, garlic, and spices, add broth, chickpeas, and wilt kale
- 🌿Diet: 100% whole food, plant-based vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free, nut-free
- 🙏 Daniel Fast recipe
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This satisfying harissa chickpea soup ticks all the boxes for nutritional density. As an added bonus, it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, making it one of our favorite Quick Vegan Meals. It's a Starch Solution recipe, and delicious! Be sure to try our Vegan Tortilla Soup, made with black beans. It's also a broth-based soup that's low in fat and high in protein.
This harissa chickpea soup could be a lunch entrée or a light dinner that will leave you satisfied without feeling overly stuffed. A special thanks to Marie for sharing a version of this recipe. ❤️
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Why You'll Love This North African Chickpea Soup
- Versatile: Enjoy these harissa chickpeas for lunch or dinner. Serve with a whole grain or salad.
- Quick and Easy: With just a few pantry staples, this one-pot recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- Low Fat and High Protein: If you're trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, this harissa chickpea soup is a great meal option. Chickpeas are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber, keeping you full and satisfied. Since this soup is made without oil, the calorie density is low.
- Bold, Complex Flavors: The harissa paste brings heat and depth to this dish, complemented by tomatoes, garlic, and warming spices.
Health Benefits
- Chickpeas bring plant-based protein and fiber, which help keep you full and support digestion. If you love chickpeas, you may also like our Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup recipe topped with Roasted Chickpeas.
- The kale adds vitamins A, K, and C, plus minerals and antioxidants that support overall health.
- Low in added fats, calories, and processed ingredients. This is comfort without compromise.
What You'll Need to Make this North African Chickpea Soup
- Harissa powder or seasoning: smoky-spicy-aromatic, giving the Harissa Chickpea Soup its fire and character. Harissa is a spice commonly used in the North African countries of Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco.
- Chickpeas: soft and creamy, they’re the main hearty component.
- Kale: adds texture (slightly chewy and vibrant) and loads of color and nutrition.
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Don’t have kale? Use swiss chard, collard greens, or bok choy instead, because they’ll still hold texture and color.
- No harissa powder? Harissa seasoning ingredients can vary, but typically include paprika, caraway, coriander, cumin, chili pepper, cayenne, garlic, and mint. It can be a paste with oil.
- To make it this harissa chickpea soup little heartier, add a scoop of our cooked ancient grains or stir in roasted sweet potatoes for bite and sweetness.
How to Make Harissa Chickpea Soup
- Step 1: Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté (in a splash of water, since it’s oil-free) for 4–5 minutes until lightly browned.
- Step 2: Add the minced garlic and the ground spices (coriander, cinnamon, sumac, harissa powder) and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Step 3: Pour in the low-sodium vegetable broth, add the drained chickpeas and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Step 4: Add the chopped kale; stir to incorporate, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. The residual heat will wilt the greens to tender-but-still-vibrant texture. Salt to taste, garnish with fresh cilantro and lemon zest. Enjoy!
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Serving Suggestions
- Pair this harissa chickpea soup with our Vegan Caesar Salad, Rainbow Salad, Green Goddess Salad, or Kale and Avocado Salad.
- Enjoy with a bowl of whole grains, like quinoa, millet, or our 5-grain ancient grains.
- This soup would also pair well with one of our handheld options, like our Tempeh Reuben Sandwich or Tempeh BLT.
- To cool things down, enjoy this soup with one of our refreshing drinks, like our Watermelon Mocktail, Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte, or Starbucks Pink Drink Copycat.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftover harissa chickpea soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or freeze this soup for up to 4 months. This is a great meal prep recipe because you can make this soup ahead of time.
If you can't find harissa powder at your local grocery store, you can buy it online. This is the harissa powder I like to use. Alternatively, you can make your own by combining paprika, caraway, crushed red chili flakes, cayenne, ground coriander, cumin powder, garlic powder, and mint.
Harissa has a moderate level of heat. I have found that some harissa powders are spicier than others. It depends on how much cayenne is in the blend.
If you’re craving something that hits bold flavor, nourishing ingredients, and ease of preparation, this North African Chickpea Soup is your go-to. With the vibrant spice of harissa, hearty chickpeas, and fresh leafy greens, it’s a satisfying meal that doesn’t compromise on health or taste.
More Soup Recipes to Check Out
If you tried this North African Chickpea Soup or any other recipe on our website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! We love to get your feedback for improvement.
North African Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 yellow or white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp sumac
- 3 Tbsp harissa powder or seasoning
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1 small pinch saffron (optional)
- 4-6 cups fresh kale chopped
- Fresh cilantro or parsley and lemon zest for garnish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and dry (or water) sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add garlic and spices, and stir until well combined. Cook for 1 minute. It should smell amazing!
- Pour in the low-sodium vegetable broth and add chickpeas. Bring the soup to a gentle boil. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add chopped kale or other dark leafy greens and saffron (if using). Carefully stir to incorporate, cover the pot, and turn off the heat to allow the greens to wilt. The greens will be al dente or cooked but firm when you bite into them.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley and lemon zest. Salt to taste and enjoy!
Christine t VICENTE says
the flavor was good but the spice level was waaaayy too much for me. i tried it. i dumped the broth and rinsed the vegetables and it was still too spicy. i added peanut butter, tofu, and yogurt and it was still very hot. lol. but i liked the flavor otherwise.
Gigi & Sersie says
Oh my Christine! You did a lot to tame down the heat. Different harissa seasonings have different heat levels. We'll be sure to update the recipe to make sure people know that. Thank you for taking the time to review and give us feedback. We appreciate you.
Evelyn Clarke says
Looks so good! I sure wish the serving sizes (oz and grams) were listed in addition to how many servings in a recipe.
Thanks for the recipe.
Gigi & Sersie says
Hi Evelyn - There is a metric conversion in the recipe card as well as the number of servings (4). At the top of the recipe, click "Jump To Recipe" and you'll see it there.
sarah f says
Fast, easy and absolutely delicious! I need more harissa in my life.
Judy says
This soup is amazing! I couldn't believe how easy and fast it was to make! I know the recipe says 25 minutes, but I think it took me 20 minutes. The smell in my kitchen is off the charts. Definitely making this one again.
Gigi & Sersie says
so glad you enjoyed it! thanks for sharing your feedback. 🙂