Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup

September 30, 2021

Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup

With zucchini, red peppers, carrots, tomatoes and a mix of fragrant dried spices, this vegan chickpea harissa vegetable soup is spicy and satisfying.

With zucchini, red peppers, carrots, tomatoes and a mix of fragrant dried spices, this vegan chickpea harissa vegetable soup is spicy and satisfying.

Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup

In my world, soup has 2 main purposes:

  1. To keep me warm and cozy
  2. 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.

Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup

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.

Carrots, red peppers, zucchini, harissa and other soup ingredients

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.
Steps making spicy vegetable soup

How To Make Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup

  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan.
  2. Sauté the onions and carrots. Give the onions enough time to turn soft and translucent.
  3. Add the red peppers and continue sautéing for a few more minutes.
  4. 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.
  5. Pour in the tomatoes, vegetable broth and water. Bring everything to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 10 minutes.
  6. Add the zucchini and chickpeas. Continue simmering for another 10 minutes. The soup should reduce and thicken slightly.
  7. Divide the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup

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

Try These Other Spicy Harissa Recipes

Harissa Roasted Cauliflower Couscous
Grilled Apricot and Corn Harissa Couscous
Harissa Roasted Tomato Cucumber Couscous

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Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup

Chickpea Harissa Vegetable Soup

  • Author: Paige Adams
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Simmering
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

With zucchini, red peppers, carrots, tomatoes and a mix of fragrant dried spices, this vegan chickpea harissa vegetable soup is spicy and satisfying.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 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
  • 128 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 medium zucchini, diced
  • 114.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • Chopped fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. Add the garlic, harissa, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the tomatoes, vegetable broth and water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Add the zucchini and chickpeas and continue simmering for 10 minutes, letting the soup thicken slightly.
  5. Divide the soup into bowls and top with chopped parsley before serving.

Notes

Store the soup in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.

Keywords: spicy vegetable soup, chickpea vegetable soup, chickpea tomato soup

WHAT DID YOU THINK?

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Recipe rating

  1. 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