Spicy Tomato and Chickpea Soup

This soup builds a tomato-forward broth with onion, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili flakes, then finishes with chickpeas for body, lemon for brightness, and cilantro for a fresh herbal lift. Serve it as a main-course soup with crusty bread if desired.

By Julienne

Cook time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 20 ml olive oil divided
• 150 g yellow onion small dice
• 4 cloves garlic cloves minced
• 4 g ground cumin none
• 4 g smoked paprika none
• 1 g red pepper flakes none
• 30 g tomato paste none
• 800 g crushed tomatoes canned
• 480 g chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 900 ml vegetable broth warm if possible
• 6 g salt divided
• 2 g black pepper freshly ground
• 120 ml water as needed to adjust consistency
• 2 g salt divided
• 30 ml lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 10 ml olive oil divided
• 15 g fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

1. Heat 20 ml olive oil in a 5 L pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. The onion is soft and lightly sweet, with no raw bite remaining.
2. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds until fragrant. The spices smell toasty and aromatic, but the garlic has not browned.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen its flavor, then add the crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, vegetable broth, 6 g salt, and black pepper. The pot is fully combined and the soup base is a deep red-orange color.
4. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add up to 120 ml water if you want a looser consistency. The chickpeas are tender and the broth tastes integrated, not raw or sharp.
5. Taste and adjust with the remaining 2 g salt if needed. Stir in the lemon juice, then finish with the remaining 10 ml olive oil and the cilantro. The soup tastes balanced, bright, and lightly spicy, with a fresh herbal finish.