Easy Parmesan Chickpea Soup.
This super simple parmesan chickpea soup is so easy, nourishing, satisfying and comforting. It comes together so fast, only requires a few ingredients, is loaded with spinach and tastes incredible. The parmesan broth is everything. Enjoy!
I’ve got your January hug in a bowl.
This soup is going to become a major staple in your menu plan. Especially this time of year! It is so easy, so satisfying and comes together so quickly. It’s flavorful, loaded with chickpeas, greens, a touch of pasta and lots of parmesan cheese. We’re talking an excellent parmesan broth that you’ll want to use for everything.
This soup tastes like a soup that you know. Kind of familiar. It tastes like comfort food on a cold night. In fact, the dish sort of reminds me of my garlic spinach pasta with chickpeas, but in soup form. And minus the spicyness. It’s simple but hearty at the same time.
All it takes? Some diced onion and garlic. Chicken or vegetable broth. A parmesan rind, of course! Super cute tiny pasta. I mean, how cute is this? A can of chickpeas, some frozen or fresh spinach, a parmesan sprinkle and a spritz of lemon.
Such good classic ingredients that come together to make something surprisingly delicious.
It’s not like it’s a total shock how good it is, but the ingredients are rather unassuming. Together, they create soup magic that warms you to your core!
This is an embarrassingly easy soup that is the ultimate comfort food at home. It makes a fairly small batch. It’s so warm and comforting, but more importantly quick and easy. Which I realize usually doesn’t apply to soup, at least not in a good way.
But this works. The parmesan broth is incredible. The broth reminds me of wedding soup, all that good broth showered in melty parmesan cheese. YUM.
Here’s how I make the soup!
- It all starts with some olive oil, onion and garlic. I like to add layers of flavor, starting at the base of course. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper here along with a tiny pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. This doesn’t add heat, but just an element of flavor.
- Next, throw the can of chickpeas in! Stir in the broth too. And don’t forget the most important part, that darn parmesan rind.
- Bring that to a boil then add in your pasta. You want a super tiny cut of pasta here, like ditalini. You could even use orzo. I’m using this farfallini which may just be the cutest thing ever. Right?! I mean, mini bow ties are adorable.
- Finally, stir in your spinach right before serving. I actually love using frozen spinach here because it’s usually already chopped and just so easy. Fresh spinach works too!
- Taste the broth and add more salt and pepper if needed. Or make parmesan, which can technically be your salt.
- Ladle into a bowl and ENJOY. It’s so cozy and warm and nourishing.
This is a great lunch soup if you work from home, because you can cook it in 20 minutes. Sometimes it’s nice to take a little cooking lunch break to numb your mind from the first half of the day, you know?!
Oh and if you want to prep the soup ahead of time, that’s easy too. Cook the soup without the pasta and cook the pasta separately. Store them separately in the fridge and then add a few spoonfuls of the pasta to the broth for your menu. So simple.
Don’t skimp on the parm!
Parmesan Chickpea Soup
Parmesan Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ sweet onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 parmesan rind
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- ¾ cup tiny-cut pasta, like ditalini or farfallini
- 5 ounces frozen spinach or 8 ounces fresh spinach
- parmesan cheese, for topping
- lemon wedges, for spritzing
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Stir in the chickpeas, parmesan rind and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add in your pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente - this will be determined on the box of pasta you use - somewhere between 8 and 12 minutes.
- Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the spinach. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper. Top with lots of parmesan cheese. Ladle into bowls and serve with a lemon wedge for spritzing.
Did you make this recipe?
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Look at that parmesan broth!
43 Comments on “Easy Parmesan Chickpea Soup.”
So happy I saw this recipe this morning – just made it for lunch and it’s YUMMY!
Changed the pasta for rice (and added a bit more water) and used swiss chard instead of spinach.
Would orzo and kale work as replacement for tiny pasta and spinach?
yes definitely!
Orzo is tiny pasta.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING! So tasty and lovely texture. I think I’ll add a bit more liquid next time but so good, quick, easy AND healthy (I think)! Thanks for this one!
How much stock is required.?
It seems to be missing
It says 4 cups
Question: Should the frozen spinach be defrosted prior to using in this recipe, please? Looking forward to trying this recipe tonight. Thank you
Same question!
it doesn’t need to be defrosted! it will cook very quickly in the soup if frozen.
It reminds me so much of my childhood!!
Miki x
https://www.littletasteofbeauty.com/
How much parmesan rind is needed? i.e. What size should it be in inches?
Yummy! Easy and quick to make. If you like juicier chick peas boil them in water separately for 10 minutes while making the soup. Good with a drizzle of EVOO after topping with additional Parmesan cheese.
Thanks for the chickpea hint!
I loved the soup except for the hard chickpeas.
…simmering on the stove for lunch. Browned some Italian sausage and got lazy with the garlic and onion and add dried… Can’t wait preliminary tastes have been yummy!!
Made this recipe the other night. It is filling and delicious. Very easy to make in a short amount of time. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Will make this recipe tomorrow for lunch. It uses all of my favorite things and I can already taste it!
I’ll use orecchiette pasta. Definitely warming and comforting during this winter storm blowing through. 10 inches of snow today!
PS If we lose power can still make it with canned chickpeas, dried pasta and a carton of organic chicken broth. Throwing a bag of spinach in the cooler outside my door – 29′ right now. Parm in my little outside fridge. Love it!
So easy and delicious! Broth is very rich. I used Kale and that was great as well. I don’t usually leave reviews, but this just hit the spot as a healthy and easy meal to get back on track in january.
This was absolutely delicious, and so easy to prepare.
I also would like to know how much parmesan rind to use please.
really any parmesan rind you can find works!
I have several small pieces of parmesan rind in a ziploc bag in my freezer, measuring about 1″ x 1.5″ each.
Would appreciate your advice about how many pieces to use in this recipe to achieve the right flavor. Thank You!
Oh no! I used my last rind bits, now what?
I wonder if I can add two heft spoons of the grated stuff during the simmering and at the end. What do you think?
Has anyone froze this soup?
So tasty and so quick and easy!
Super simple, VERY flavorful. I’m very impressed by this soup. Made it with vegetable broth and used rice instead of pasta. A definite staple in my house from now on. And it’s super filling!!!
Delicious & easy. This is one of those recipes where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. A good reminder to throw that Parmesan rind in the freezer.
I made this for lunch last week and loved it. This broth reminds me of the broth my Nonna used to make – now I know that the parmesan rind was her secret (I should have known that because she also used rinds in her pasta sauce!).
This soup is the best soup!!! I add some ground Turkey for extra protein. Yum!
This soup is absolutely my go-to, feel good meal! I love how easy it is, how hearty, how delicious. It’s a standard on my menu now as it’s wonderfully easy to prepare and comes together fast after a long day, leaving the house smelling fantastic, and me with a bowl of comfort. Thank you!
Can’t wait to try this! What is the shape of the pasta you used in the photographs? The link you shared for it has an error m, and I love their little shape so I’m hoping I can find it!
farfalline! like mini farfalle https://www.walmart.com/ip/De-Cecco-Farfalline-No-95-Pasta-16-oz/40134216?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42423897272&wl4=aud-393207457166:pla-51320962143&wl5=9006116&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=40134216&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAjw4c-ZBhAEEiwAZ105RRw8yaqcgx4c-zcq66kP07-0n3QekE4Bc4ePWmw6AeOJKjVANXIA6RoC5gEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Am I missing calories per serving etc somewhere? Also – did you take the skins off the chickpeas?
This was excellent. Even the kids liked it! I doubled the recipe and did one liter bone broth and one liter regular stock. Delicious!
So easy! I added carrots and subbed small white beans for the chick peas. Very flavorful and satisfying.
Delicious! Next time I may add more broth as the pasta seemed to absorb most of it. Also, may incorporate pancetta or bacon. Thanks!
Made this on a cool, rainy day and it hit the spot! Absolutely delicious and very easy. Will be making again and again!
Very good soup. I prefer adding the spinach two minutes before its done so it softens and melts in your mouth.
This looks rather simple but is SO TASTY! I’ll make this again but definitely double it.
When I was looking through my saved soup recipes and found this recipe in there and realized I had just bought Farfalline pasta at the Italian store near me, I knew I had to make it!
So quick and easy with ingredients I always have on hand! I will definitely be making this again & again, thank you!
I made this today and it was absolutely delicious! And so easy to make. I did add a cup of chopped chicken cuz I needed to use it up. And I added more broth. The Parmesan rind added such a great flavor. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe.
I think it needs more broth. Mine cooked down way too low.
How much rind ??????
Help!!