Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup
on Sep 30, 2021, Updated Nov 28, 2021
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With zucchini, red peppers, carrots, tomatoes and a mix of fragrant dried spices, this vegan chickpea harissa vegetable soup is spicy and satisfying.
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In my world, soup has 2 main purposes:
- To keep me warm and cozy
- To help me get in more than my daily serving of veggies
Those are pretty easy to accomplish when it comes to any vegetable soup. With a tomato-based broth, you can go all in adding whatever veggies you have in your kitchen. That can be broccoli, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, potatoes and so much more.
The key is figuring out a couple extra ingredients to include in the soup to make it special. Whenever I cook this chickpea harissa vegetable soup, it means I am in the mood for hot soup with a kick. And one that’s filling thanks to the chickpeas.
It satisfies my cravings for temperature heat and spicy heat.
What Is Harissa?
This spicy red chili paste originally hails from Tunisia in North Africa. It’s a blend of chile peppers, garlic, olive oil and spices like cumin and coriander.
You can find it in the international foods aisle at the grocery in the Middle Eastern section. Different brands can vary in their spice level, so I like to taste a dab before I use it in a recipe. Then I can get a better idea on how spicy the final dish might turn out.
Harissa is great for adding heat to dips and marinades. I love it for roasted cauliflower.
This is one of those magical flavor boosters that you should keep a jar of in your kitchen at all times.
The Ingredients For Spicy Vegetable Soup
This is what you need for the soup:
- Harissa: Using a few tablespoons of harissa is such an easy way to add spiciness to the tomato broth.
- Chickpeas: Make sure to drain and rinse the canned chickpeas before stirring them in.
- Zucchini: The zucchini and chickpeas are added before the final 10 minutes of simmering.
- Red Peppers: The vegetables in the soup include diced red bell peppers.
- Carrots: The diced carrots and onions sauté together. I like to make sure the carrots still retain some bite once the soup has finished simmering.
- Onions: For a nice flavor base, I sauté onions in the pan to start the soup.
- Canned tomatoes: The recipe calls for a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes.
- Vegetable broth: Make sure to use low-sodium veggie broth.
- Spices: The soup has a combination of dried seasonings including cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Garlic: I include a couple minced garlic cloves.
How To Make Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.
- Sauté the onions and carrots. Give the onions enough time to turn soft and translucent.
- Add the red peppers and continue sautéing for a few more minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, harissa and spices. That includes cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. It will only take a minute or 2 for the ingredients to become fragrant.
- Pour in the tomatoes, vegetable broth and water. Bring everything to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and chickpeas. Continue simmering for another 10 minutes. The soup should reduce and thicken slightly.
- Divide the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
How To Serve Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup
With peppers, zucchini, carrots and chickpeas, every spoonful of this vegan soup has something good in it.
It definitely eats like a meal whether that’s for lunch or dinner. You can serve it with a hunk of crusty bread or a pita.
How To Store Leftovers
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you plan on saving the soup longer, I recommend freezing it in individual portion sizes. That makes it very easy to just thaw what you need.
I am a big fan of these silicone soup trays for freezing soup into portions.
More Vegetable Soup Recipes
Hearty Vegetable Soup
White Bean Sweet Potato Tomato Kale Soup
One Pot Quinoa Chili
Tomato Carrot Lentil Soup
This recipe is part of my guide to easy chickpea recipes for every meal, including soups, salads, mains and side dishes.
Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons harissa
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1-28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 medium zucchini, diced
- 1-14.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for 4 minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the peppers and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, harissa, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the tomatoes, vegetable broth and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and chickpeas and continue simmering for 10 minutes, letting the soup thicken slightly.
- Divide the soup into bowls and top with chopped parsley before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very healthy and tasty. Soups.
Such a satisfying mix of veggies with a great flavor. Loved it!
Very easy to make. I couldn’t find zucchini at the store so I swapped in yellow squash, and added in some kale for a little green. Seasoning directions are excellent, this is a great soup