Pesto Chickpea Soup
Published May 20, 2025
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- 1(6-ounce) jar store-bought pesto or about ¾ cup homemade pesto
- Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
- 2small shallots, thinly sliced into rounds
- 2(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed
- 4cups vegetable stock
- Salt and black pepper
- 2packed cups baby spinach
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
519 calories; 26 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 56 grams carbohydrates; 16 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 1199 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat a medium pot over medium. Pour the oil from the top of the pesto jar into the pot; you should have about 3 tablespoons, but can add more olive oil as needed to reach the desired amount. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Step 2
Add the chickpeas to the pot. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush about half of the chickpeas against the sides of the pot. Adjust the heat to high. Add the vegetable stock and season lightly with salt and a few cracks of black pepper. (Keep in mind that pesto can bring a hefty amount of salt to the stew, so start with a minimal amount of salt and add more as needed, after incorporating the pesto.) Bring to a vigorous simmer and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Step 3
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the remaining pesto and the spinach and mix everything to combine. Season with more salt to taste, and serve warm.
Private Notes
Comments
I organized my pantry this week just to find 6 jars of pesto which naturally led me to search all the ways I can use them up. I LOVED this recipe so much I made it twice in a row already. It was tasty, healthy and surprisingly quick. Definitely a new go-to for my family and I, even the kids enjoyed it!!
Use a potato masher to mash the beans. VERY salty and I used low sodium vegetable broth and only half the pesto and no additional salt!
I pureed this soup and added about four tablespoons of lemon juice and some lemon zest to garnish. Guests loved it. Didn't add salt. Used homemade pesto.
So easy. So delicious! Followed suggestion to use potato masher. Used chicken stock I had in freezer. Added 1/2 lb cooked ground turkey.
I used an inexpensive and mediocre store brand pesto. It could have ruined the soup, but adding a parm rind saved the batch of soup. Good pesto is definitely the way to go with this recipe. Potato masher worked better for me for crushing some of the chickpeas. It is truly easy enough for weeknights or fast lunches!
I added shredded chicken, lemon, and peas. Delish!