Chickpea Minestrone

This super cozy vegetarian Chickpea Minestrone is full of flavor and so easy to make!

Temps are dropping and cozy comfort food reigns supreme right now. Especially this cozy chickpea noodle soup!

This comforting chickpea minestrone has oodles of flavor, oodles of noodles, and essentially a warm hug in every bite.

Even my T-Rex husband happily devoured his bowl and went back for seconds.

Love it so!

Vegetarian Chickpea Minestrone Soup

This positively slurpable soup reinvents the classic with tender garbanzo beans in place of the typical white beans or kidney beans, but the rest of the ingredients are all deliciously familiar:

Vegetable broth, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, herbs and spices all join forces to flavor this scrumptious soup.

I love mine topped with fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese and with a side of buttered Italian bread for dunking. YES PLEASE!

Depending on the topping choice this soup can be vegetarian or vegan so absolutely adjust accordingly!

What Noodles Can I Use for Minestrone?

You can 100% use any noodle shape you’d like here!

For me, itty bitty ditalini noodles are the way to go! Orzo also works great as do small shell or elbow noodles.

I’ve even made a Tortellini Minestrone that’s absolutely divine.

Love Those Leftovers!

Leftover soup is, as expected, absolutely amazing the following days and something I find myself looking forward to.

The noodles will soak up some of the broth and thicken into an almost stew-like consistency that I love dearly. If you’d like the leftovers to be more soupy, feel free to add more broth and any additional seasoning compensate and you’re good to go.

You can even freeze some for later by leaving out the noodles and cooking those up fresh when you’re ready to defrost a bowl or two and dig in!

5 from 6 votes

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Chickpea Minestrone

This super cozy vegetarian Chickpea Minestrone is full of flavor and so easy to make!

Course Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Chickpea Minestrone

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 5 servings

Calories 281 kcal

Author Jenn Laughlin – Peas and Crayons

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (white or yellow)
• 2-3 carrots
• 2 celery ribs
• 4 cloves garlic peeled, smashed, and minced
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 cup ditalini pasta
• 2 cans chickpeas (15 oz each) drained and rinsed
• ¼-½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or to taste (skip if vegan)
• fresh chopped basil for topping (optoinal + delicious)

Instructions

1. Peel and dice onion and carrots. Finely chop celery. Smash and peel garlic, then finely mince.

2. Heat a large dutch oven (or heavy duty pot) to medium-high heat with 2 TBSP oil. Once oil is hot, add onion, carrot, and celery and saute until vegetables are tender, approx 7 minutes.

3. Next add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook an addiitonal minute, stirring constantly.

4. Add broth, water, and crushed tomatoes (juices and all) and bay leaves and bring pot to a boil.

5. Once soup is vigorously bubbling, add chickpeas and pasta and reduce heat to low. Stir frequently for the first few minutes to prevent sticking. Cover and simmer until chickpeas are tender and pasta is al dente, approx 15 minutes. Stir occasionaly.

6. Remove bay leaves when you come across them stirring the soup. Additional salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning blend can be added to taste at if desired.

7. Ready to eat? Ladle into bowls and enjoy piping hot topped with fresh basil (optional but so tasty!) and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Recipe Notes

Recipe yields approx. 11-12 cups of soup or 6 meal-sized bowls.

Nutrition Facts below are estimated for each bowl-sized serving (approx. 2 cups each) using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed based on extras/swaps and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Chickpea Minestrone

Amount Per Serving

Calories 281 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 3mg1%

Sodium 779mg34%

Potassium 677mg19%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 4474IU89%

Vitamin C 19mg23%

Calcium 147mg15%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you get a chance to try this delicious vegetarian chickpea minestrone, let me know!

Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!

Serving Suggestions

Thanks to it’s perfect medley of protein, veggies, and carbs, this soup makes a marvelous stand-alone meal for lunch or dinner.

If you’d like to round out the meal even further, you can serve it with a yummy Spinach and Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich or a Grilled Cheese Pita or any melty panini of your choice!

If you’re a fan of a cold sandwich + hot soup combo, half of a Chickpea Salad Sandwich or California Veggie Sandwich would be stellar alongside this soup.

Can I Make this Chickpea Minestrone in the Crock-Pot?

I usually make this chickpea minestrone in my trusty dutch oven on the stove top, but you can also absolutely use a slow cooker if you prefer! The ingredients are the same and just follow these instructions instead:

1. Peel and dice onion and carrots. Finely chop celery. Smash and peel garlic, then mince. Add vegetables, oil, spices, broth, water (or an extra cup of broth), crushed tomatoes, and bay leaves, to a large slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours, until vegetables are desired tenderness.
2. Remove lid and add pasta and (drained/rinsed) chickpeas.
3. Return the lid to the pot and cook an additional 20 minutes or until pasta is cooked to desired tenderness. Remaining cook time will vary on pasta size/shape.
4. Add any additional seasoning to taste plus whatever toppings your heart desires. Enjoy!

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• Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup – READER FAVORITE
• NEW! One-Pot Ravioli Soup
• Mediterranean White Bean Soup
• Tuscan White Bean Soup with Tortellini