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Hearty Kale Chickpea Soup is made with fresh kale, cooked chickpeas, and simple pantry items. Chickpea kale soup answers the what's for dinner dilemma in 20 minutes a healthy, budget-friendly way!
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Why you'll love this chickpea soup recipe
- Quick and convenient
- Nutrition-packed
- Great for busy weeknights
This chickpea soup is busy people needing a healthy soup in a hurry. Whether you prefer to cook soup on the stove or in the Instant Pot, you'll get this comforting soup on the table in about 20 minutes.
Kale and chickpeas are super nutritious and complement each other in texture and flavor. Between the kale and chickpeas, this soup is loaded with fiber. It's also naturally vegan and gluten free. Both are always available at any grocery store.
You won't believe how easy it is to get this healthy soup on the table with such little effort! It has saved so many of our unplanned weeknight dinners and I hope it will do the same for you!
Ingredients you'll need
- olive oil - or other cooking oil
- onions and garlic - These aromatics really flavor the soup nicely.
- chickpeas - canned or cooked chickpeas
- kale - any variety will work for this soup
- vegetable broth - I recommend a low salt version so you can add salt to suit your preference.
- thyme - fresh or dried (or other seasoning as desired)
- salt and pepper - to taste
- garnish options - homemade croutons and grated Parmesan cheese
Stove instructions
* See full recipe instructions below
- Saute onions and garlic in olive oil.
- Add all other ingredients, bring just to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Serve warm.
Instant Pot instructions
* See full recipe instructions below
- Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in the Instant Pot.
- Add remaining ingredients and pressure cook on high pressure for 1 minute.
- Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release.
- Serve warm.
I love to add Parmesan cheese and homemade croutons as seen in my photos.
What kale should I use?
I used Dino kale, also called Lacinato, in this soup. However, any kale will work! In fact, curly kale will naturally add more volume. Dino kale tends to be more expensive than curly kale, so it really all comes down to personal preference.
The best chickpeas for this soup
Canned chickpeas are convenient because they're fully cooked and ready to eat right out of the can. This is what makes this soup so quick and easy to make since you don't have to cook the beans.
But, if you want to skip the canned beans, save money, and eat a higher quality ingredient, check out my Instant Pot Chickpeas method. Or, if you don't mind turning on your oven for a few hours, check out my article on how to cook dried beans without soaking to cook the chickpeas.
What's the best broth for chickpea soup?
I've been very happy with this reduced-sodium vegetable base for over a decade. It's affordable, requires minimal pantry space, and tastes great! You can use bouillon cubes or packaged vegetable broth.
More kale recipes
More vegetarian soup recipes
📖 Recipe
Chickpea Kale Soup Recipe
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Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ medium Onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 (15-ounce can) Chickpeas (drained), or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 cups Kale, chopped
- 4 cups Vegetable Broth
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
(See footnotes for Instant Pot instructions)
- Heat OLIVE OIL in a 3-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add ONIONS and GARLIC; sauté until slightly tender, stirring as needed.
- Stir in CHICKPEAS, KALE, VEGETABLE BROTH, THYME, SALT, and PEPPER. Increase heat to HIGH and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Serve warm. Garnish options: lemon zest, fresh parsley, croutons, or grated Parmesan cheese.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months (or longer if vacuum sealed).
Recipe Notes
- Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and heat the OLIVE OIL.
- When the display reads "Hot", add ONION and GARLIC; sauté a few minutes until tender, stirring as needed.
- Add cooked CHICKPEAS, KALE, VEGETABLE BROTH, THYME, SALT, and PEPPER.
- Secure the lid and set pressure valve to "Sealing" position.
- Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" and pressure cook on "High" for 1 minute followed by a 10-minute natural release.
Equipment
- chef's knife optional
- 4.5-quart Dutch oven or stockpot or Instant Pot
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Heidi P says
Super easy, great flavor.
Traci says
Yay! So glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for this feedback! xoxo
Laurie says
Made this recipe. I added some carrots, mushrooms and brown rice. Delicious! Don’t understand where the fat content comes from in the nutrition information.
Traci says
Oh wow! Thank you for bringing the incorrect nutrition info to my attention. You're right, it was way off. It is fixed now. Must have been a glitch in the database. Also thank you for trying my recipe. It's a very simple soup that's perfect for customization like yours. YUM! Enjoy! xoxo
Shirley Addams says
Only 1 gm.of protein, even with the chick peas? That's disappointing.
Traci says
Ahh for some reason, the recipe database wasn't updating. I fixed it. Thank you for bringing to my attention. Enjoy!
Chris says
yummy- I cooked the soup with a parmesan rind and was delish. Also a squeeze of lemon to finish it. 🙂
Traci says
Perfect!! Love the idea of adding the rind. Thanks for bringing my recipe into your kitchen - and for the feedback. Enjoy!
LB says
The soup is so easy to make, healthy and delicious!
Traci says
Yayyy! So glad you found your way to my recipe. Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
Mary says
Loved it quick, easy and yummy . Added cooked rice and more Kale.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Megan says
I liked it! Blended it, my own preference. I only had 1 cup chickpeas so it was thinner soup. Added garlic butter croutons.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed. I haven't blended it before but would definitely want more chickpeas than said amount to make it a little thicker. Thanks for taking the time to review 🙂
Donna says
Hi, Tracy! I used your recipe as my point of departure and had a little fun with it. I swapped out the vegetable stock for chicken stock, added diced golden potatoes, and took inspiration from another reviewer and zipped some of the potates and chickpeas in the food processor to add more body to the soup. I increased the amount of kale and added it just before serving to keep its gorgeous green color. Finally, I added a dash of bacon salt just before serving and then served this delicious soup alongside my sourdough flatbread. My family loved it! Thanks so much for the inspiration!
The Kitchen Girl says
I'm so glad to inspire your family's dinner enjoyment. Thanks for all the great ideas for this chickpea kale soup:) And thanks for the review!
FeLicia says
I've made this and sometimes I add a bit of Italian sausage and/or grated parmesan to make it a main dish. Great with a nice salad and warm bread.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome Felicia. So glad to hear you're enjoying it with customizations. Thanks for the review. Cheers!
Christine says
Just made this and it is great and easy- will be doing this again for sure! What would you think about blending some chickpeas to make it thicker or blending the whole thing for puree? Thanks!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed! As for blending some to make it thicker, go for it. I wouldn't have thought to blend it all but you're welcome to. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Kara says
Simple, quick, delicious soup. Came together in no time for dinner and the whole family scarfed it down.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Kara! So glad to hear your family loved it 🙂 Thanks for the feedback
Shirley Cook Brooks says
Delicious soup! I've made this 3x now! Made it tonight and added nduja sausage for a little kick and smokiness. Yum-mee!!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome Shirley, so glad you're enjoying it! Sausage always goes with kale soup 😉 Thanks for the review!
Sam says
So delicious! Even my vegetable hating husband loves this recipe! I add turkey sausage for some added protein and flavor. Yum!
Is there a way to make this in a crockpot? Or does the kale get too soggy?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Sam, glad you both enjoyed it. The soup really is the perfect base for add-ins. And yes crockpot would work just fine. You could apply pretty much any crockpot soup instructions. Thanks for the review 🙂 Cheers!
Miranda says
When I use kale in the crockpot I add it at the last minute so it doesn't get soggy. Usually let it sit for about 15 mins.
Jennifer says
My family loved it. I used homemade veggie broth and it was great
The Kitchen Girl says
Glad to hear it! We love this quick and easy soup too 🙂 Thanks so much!
Gayle says
This soup recipe looks really good. About how many cups is 1/3 a pound of Kale? I don't have any means of weighing it. Thank you for your help.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Gayle, it's about 1 cup. Hope you enjoy! Thanks!
Raquel E says
The best quick & easy soup ever! My husband loved it too. It is such a delicious recipe. I added diced zucchini. I topped with croutons. Such a delicious soup. I’m sure you can add all different types of veggies. I kept it simple and stuck to the recipe. I actually added more broth to make more liquidity. Love!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay, Raquel...so glad you love it as much as we do! You're right about all the veggies too Thanks for taking the time to leave this feedback
Bridget says
Fantastic recipe! It was delicious and quick. I added some crushed red pepper because I like spice. I will make this again and again. Thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Bridget! So glad you liked this soup. I'm always up for crushed red pepper 🙂 Thanks for the review!
Lil says
This is a great soup! My husband and I made it last night and used a little more kale, since we love kale, added miracle noodles and smashed half of the chickpeas to make it a little creamier. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Traci Antonovich says
Yay, thanks Lil...day made! I'm a kale lover too, so I usually do the same 🙂 I love your additions too!
Pamela Osborne says
This soup is so flavorful and delicious. I will be making this again! I had all ingredients on hand except the vegetable broth so I used chicken broth instead. I added a little fresh grated parmesan and croutons after dishing up.
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, Pam! I'm so glad to hear it...and chicken broth is a perfect substitution. Some might prefer it. I also love to add parm and croutons to mine sometimes. We must be related 😉 Thanks for the feedback!!!
Alison says
I love this recipe! So easy to make and full of nourishing ingredients.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Alison! Chickpea soup really IS so easy to make 🙂
Christina says
I love this recipe I added some Italian sausage for more flavor, and some meat.
The Kitchen Girl says
That sounds delicious, Christina! So glad you're enjoying it 🙂
Sara Welch says
This was such a flavorful dish; easily a new family favorite recipe! Looking forward to enjoying this again later this week!
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome, Sara! So glad you can enjoy this one 🙂
Kelly Anthony says
What a great quick and easy soup to warm up after a long day. This has everything a good soup needs!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Kelly! Chickpea soup is one of my favorite ways to end a long day 🙂
Rebecca says
I've got lots of chickpeas that I need to eat, now I'm super excited to make this!
Traci Antonovich says
Haha, yep! Always lots of chickpeas on hand. Hope you love it! 🙂