This hearty chickpea soup recipe is full of Mediterranean flavors, thanks to a combination of roasted red peppers, smoked paprika, farro, and feta. With chickpeas for protein and farro for heft, it’s a true one-pot meal that comes together in just about an hour, perfect for your next weeknight dinner!
Most chickpea soups lean vegetable-heavy and brothy. This one is different: farro adds a nutty chew that makes it substantial enough to be a full meal. Roasted red peppers and paprika provide a nice smokiness, while the feta brings a salty, tangy flavor. It’s almost like a cross between a Moroccan and Greek chickpea soup, with flavors of harissa and briny feta.
Best of all, it’s a pantry-forward recipe, so you can use up what you’ve got at home and save a trip to the grocery store. Many of my readers recommend doubling the recipe for meal prep to enjoy throughout the week, alongside my homemade Greek yogurt and whole-wheat Dutch oven bread.
Ingredient Notes
- Spices: The smoked paprika is pretty front and center in this dish, so make sure it’s fresh! I recommend getting the good stuff (typically, you can find a high-quality smoked paprika at specialty grocery stores, international food stores, or online). Aleppo chili adds a fruity, mild heat, but regular chili flakes will work too!
- Roasted Red Peppers: Jarred roasted red peppers are often brined in salt, so you’ll want to rinse them thoroughly. Can’t find jarred peppers? You can also substitute 12 ounces of drained, fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
- Semi-Pearled Farro: It takes about 25 – 30 minutes for semi-pearled farro to cook in the soup until tender, but if you soak it overnight, it’ll cook even more quickly. For more details on purchasing farro, check out my Instant Pot farro post.
- Vegetable Broth: Use your favorite vegetable broth (I love Better than Bouillon‘s vegetable base). If you eat meat, chicken broth works too!
TIP: For the freshest spices, check out my guide on where to purchase spices!
For a full list of ingredients, please refer to the recipe card.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Fresh Herbs: I call for fresh parsley, but dill, mint, or green onions would also be lovely here.
- Feta: If you don’t have feta, try a spoonful of salted yogurt or salted labneh (just season a little bit of Greek yogurt or labneh with salt).
- Farro: Barley or bulgur are great substitutions!
Vegan? Omit the feta, or use your favorite vegan feta.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: In a large pot or large dutch oven, saute the olive oil with red pepper flakes, garlic, pepper flakes, onion, carrot, and celery until softened.
Step 2: Meanwhile, puree the drained roasted red peppers until smooth.
Step 3: Saute the pureed peppers over medium heat until the paste concentrates and begins to stick to the sides of the pan.
Step 5: Divide the soup into serving bowls and top with parsley and crumbled feta. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Prep ahead: If you get all your aromatics chopped, you can prep the rest of the components (blending the roasted red peppers, measuring additional spices, etc.) while they’re cooking.
- Adjust seasonings as needed: Often times, when soups or stews taste slightly off (that “something’s missing” feeling!), you can adjust seasonings to achieve the flavor profile you’re looking for. When in doubt, add a bit of salt! Salt can usually fix most seasoning problems. Or try a squeeze of lemon juice for a fresh flavor.
Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions
Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container for 3 – 4 days.
Make-Ahead: You can make the soup 1 – 2 days ahead of time and reheat in the microwave or simmer on the stove until warmed. You may need to add a little bit more liquid as the soup will thicken in the fridge. The flavor often continues to develop after cooking, so it’ll still be delicious the next day!
Also, the farro will absorb more liquid over time, so the texture may change slightly — if this bothers you, feel free to cook the farro separately, and then add it back in when serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, homemade roasted red bell peppers might even add a little bit more flavor than the jarred version. Just make sure to use an equivalent amount of peppers.
Yes, you can, but I’d recommend soaking and cooking the dried chickpeas first. You can replace the broth and water with the reserved chickpea broth, too!
Look for a semi-pearled farro (or one with an estimated cooking time of about 25-30 minutes). I don’t recommend using whole farro, as it will take significantly longer and soak up too much broth.
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Smoky Mediterranean Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 small onion
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, or ¾ teaspoon aleppo chili flakes, plus more if desired
- Salt and black pepper
- 16 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed well (should yield 11 to 12 ounces of drained peppers, or a little less than 1 ½ cups)
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, not spicy | plus more if desired
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more if desired
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander, plus more if desired
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup semi-pearled farro, rinsed
- 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
- A generous handful of parsley
- ½ cup feta cheese, preferably sheep's milk feta in brine (or vegan feta), crumbled into small pieces
Instructions
- Prep the aromatics: Finely mince 6 cloves garlic. Finely chop 1 medium carrot, 1 stalk celery, and 1 small onion.
- Cook the aromatics: In a large dutch oven or heavy pot, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and the minced garlic. Set over medium-low heat, then saute the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in ½ teaspoon red chili flakes; once they sizzle, add in the onion, carrot, and celery. Increase the heat to medium and cook the aromatics until softened and slightly shrunken in size, about 8 – 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Blend the roasted red peppers: While the aromatics are cooking, use a small blender to blend the drained 16 ounces jarred roasted red peppers into a smooth and homogeneous paste.
- Build the rest of the soup: Add the roasted red pepper paste to the pot, and stir to combine over medium heat. Saute for about 3 – 4 minutes, until the paste begins to stick to the sides of the pan. Stir in 1 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon ground coriander, and cook for 1 minute. Add in 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 quart vegetable broth, 1 ½ cups water, and ½ cup semi-pearled farro. Season with salt and pepper (though keep in mind, the feta garnish will add some more saltiness). Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until farro is just barely al dente, about 20 – 25 minutes.
- Finish the soup: Just before the farro is cooked, stir in a 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas, drained, and half of the parsley. Continue simmering until farro is tender but still has a slight bite in the center.Taste the soup, and adjust with seasonings, adding the remaining ½ teaspoons smoked paprika if desired, and additional amounts of the other spices as needed. If the soup is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of water.
- Serve the soup: Divide the soup into bowls, and top with crumbled feta cheese and more parsley.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This is one of the best soups I’ve ever had. The smoky flavors are divine. I’ve added it to my regular rotation!!
Hi Natalie,
So glad you enjoyed and happy it made it to your rotation! Thanks so much for leaving a comment 🙂
Delicious soup, and really easy to make! This was my first time cooking with farro, but instructions in the recipe are super easy to follow, so no issues at all! Definitely will make this again, and looking forward to trying more of Karishma’s recipes!
Hi Mary,
So glad you enjoyed this soup! Farro is such a versatile grain to work with. I also love making a batch of it to keep for the week and adding it to salads and grain bowls.
Made this again today on a rainy 4th of July. Delicious, warming, and nutritious! Thank you, Karishma
So wonderful to hear that! Hope you had a nice 4th of July, despite the rain! 🙂