• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Greek Foodie logo

  • MY GREEK PANTRY
  • ABOUT
    • Privacy Policy
  • CONTACT
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • My Greek Pantry
  • Contact Me
  • ×

    Home » All Recipes » Soups » Greek Chickpea Soup

    Greek Chickpea Soup

    Last updated December 9, 2020. Originally posted December 8, 2018 By Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves. 12 Comments.

    Share
    Pin
    Share
    Email
    Tweet
    Yum
    WhatsApp
    1K Shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This delicious Greek lemon chickpea soup is super easy to make. With simple ingredients, it is creamy, lemony & the perfect comfort soup.

    A bowl with Greek chickpea soup and a piece of bread.

    Greek chickpea soup is on the list of unpretentious, simple foods that are delicious with a distinctive flavor. It has a rich, creamy broth and the addition of lemon juice adds brightness and sophistication.

    You can tune-up or down how much lemon you want to use. For example, my mother used one lemon; I felt I needed more acidity and added three lemons juiced. Admittedly the lemons I find in Hoboken might be different in potency than the greek lemons my mother used. My suggestion is to experiment and discover what you prefer.

    This delicious chickpea soup is pretty simple to make as long as you soak the chickpeas overnight and pre-cook them to help soften their texture. 

    A bowl with Greek chickpea soup and a piece of bread.

    I personally love food that makes a great leftover. After a day, you can add a cup of the rice of your choice to the soup and create a lovely rice dish. Add some leftover grilled vegetables, some nuts, a sprinkle of feta cheese, and you have a completely different meal.

    • Try this Greek tomato soup with feta & basil, an ideal partner to crusty bread.
    • A wonderful and comforting soup is the traditional Greek chicken soup; it is delicious and humbly perfect.
    • A real winner is this red kabocha soup with porcini mushrooms. It is creamy and sophisticated with layers of flavor that leave you satisfied & pleasantly surprised.

    Check all the pantry items a Greek kitchen wouldn’t go without.

    If you’ve tried this recipe or any other on The Greek Foodie, then don’t forget to rate it and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it.

    WANT TO EAT LIKE A GREEK? Subscribe to my email and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest recipes.

    A bowl with Greek chickpea soup and a piece of bread.

    Greek Lemon chickpea soup

    by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves
    This delicious Greek lemon chickpea soup is super easy to make. With simple ingredients, it is creamy, lemony & the perfect comfort soup.
    4.34 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 2 hrs
    Chickpeas soaking time 6 hrs
    Course Soup
    Cuisine Cretan, Greek
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 302 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb chickpeas garbanzo beans
    • 1 red onion diced
    • ½ cup olive oil
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tbsp dry oregano
    • salt
    • fresh ground pepper

    for finishing the soup

    • juice from 1- 2 lemons
    • 1 cup soup broth
    • 2 tbsp all purpose flour

    Instructions
     

    • Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water overnight.
    • Put them in a large pot cover with water and bring them to a boil. Drain and add them back to the pot. Repeat the same process 2-3 times until they are half cooked. About 20 min each time. Drain chickpeas well and set aside.
    • In the same pot, in medium heat, add the olive oil and the the onion.
    • Sauté onion until it’s transparent and fragrant. Add the chickpeas, oregano and the bay leaves.
    • Sauté everything for a 2-3 minutes then add water to cover chickpeas plus 2 inches.
    • Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for about an hour or more if needed until they are tender. Shortly before chickpeas are cooked season with salt and pepper.
    • In a bowl add the lemon juice and stir in the flour with a whisk.
    • Slowly start adding a little of the soup broth. Keep stirring vigorously. Pour into the soup and mix well.
    • Serve hot with smoked herring and onion slices. Don’t forget the crusty bread.

    Notes

    Depending on the chickpeas you are using, you might have to adjust the cooking time. For example, greek chickpeas cooked quicker than the ones I found in my grocery store. I had to add 30 minutes or so of cooking time. You want your chickpeas to be soft and on the verge of being "mushy" - in a good way. 
     
    Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on products used.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 7gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 257mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword Chickpea soup
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thegreekfoodie__ or tag #thegreekfoodie__
    Greek Chickpea Soup
    Previous Post: « Arakas - Greek Sweet Peas
    Next Post: Greek Bell Pepper Pie »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lizzie says

      December 10, 2018 at 7:06 pm

      Could you use canned chickpeas instead? I know the result won't be quite the same, but ..... love that you suggest serving this with smoked herring!!!!

      Reply
      • misscookalot says

        December 10, 2018 at 7:41 pm

        I don't see why not, I am actually going to try that! The soup broth will be different but you can use chicken or veggie broth as a substitute. I am all for trying new things, go for it and let me know how it came out! x Jenny

        Quick update!
        A friend tried the soup with canned chickpeas and noted that broth was starkly different and did not work well. In order to develop this rich and creamy broth you need to follow the recipe and use dried chickpeas. x Jenny

        Reply
    2. K says

      December 10, 2018 at 9:32 pm

      I'm coming down with a cold right now and this sounds exactly like what I want.

      But, I wanted to ask: is the *cup* of olive oil a typo? That sounds overwhelming.

      Reply
      • misscookalot says

        December 11, 2018 at 7:17 am

        Yes, I agree with you the olive oil should be 1/2 a cup, thank you for pointing that to me. Regarding your cold, a very traditional greek chicken lemon soup will be up on the site tonight and it is really perfect for feeling under the weather. Check it out if you have the chance. Hope you feel better soon! x Jenny

        Reply
    3. Valerie says

      July 18, 2019 at 6:57 pm

      How many times do you cook the chickpeas in total? Also, do you drain the chickpeas from the 24 hour soaking, then rinse the chickpeas and cook again in fresh water? Thanks for the recipe, I can't wait to make it!

      Reply
      • Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves says

        July 18, 2019 at 7:33 pm

        Hi Valerie! I just drain them after the overnight soaking and pre-cook/boil them at least 2 times always in fresh water. I pre-cook them until they seem half cooked and then I prepare the final soup. If they are still tough you can always simmer the soup longer if need to. Just adjust the water quantity and check your seasoning. The trick is to have them at the end soft but not falling apart/mushy. Let me know how they came out! x

        Reply
        • malcolm says

          January 08, 2020 at 4:55 am

          Use bicarbonate of soda to soak the dried peas with...

          Reply
          • malcolm says

            January 08, 2020 at 5:04 am

            This goes for all dried peas & beans. Overnight soaking does not cut it... This is hardly ever mentioned in recipes, & it should be. A tried and tested method for softening pulses prior to cooking.

            Reply
            • Jenny says

              January 08, 2020 at 7:43 am

              Hi Malcolm, using bicarbonate soda is not the Greek method but definitely worth trying. I will check it out next time I make my chickpea soup. Thank you for the tip!

    4. Maite G.Salgado says

      April 11, 2020 at 10:32 am

      Chickpeas should be soaked in hot water, and the water where they will boil should also be hot. This is not necessary with beans or lentils... only with chickpeas. I imagine you need to boil them several times because you soak them in cold water. Because I only boil them once.

      Reply
      • Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves says

        April 11, 2020 at 10:48 am

        That is a great idea! I will try that, thanks Maite!

        Reply
    5. KARIN KAUTZKY says

      May 03, 2020 at 6:43 am

      5 stars
      This is my favorite soup now! The lemons add vibrance, and the oregano is so fragrant. i love how this dish is suitable summer and winter. This time I added a handful of arugula, just delicious. Thank you Jenny for another "keeper".

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there!

    I am Jenny, a Greek expat living in the greater New York City area. I like to say I am a beauty art director turned foodie, aka the Greek foodie. Born and raised in Greece, my fondness for good food goes hand in hand with my heritage. My absolute favorite thing to do is cook delicious food to enjoy with family and friends.... Find out more about me here…

    Greek Favorites

    A white plate with colorful tortellini pasta with zucchini, tomatoes and shaved parmesan cheese.

    Quick & Easy Pasta

    Greek Moussaka With Yellow Squash

    Feta Cheese Puff Pastries With Leeks And Dill

    Vegetarian Moussaka With Plant Based Beef

    Two plates with cumin meatballs in red sauce-greek soutzoukakia and another plate in the back with cut up pita breads.

    Cumin Meatballs In Red Sauce - Greek Soutzoukakia

    Low Carb Turkey Meatballs & Gravy

    Sweet Treats

    A serving plate with pistachio baklava pieces.

    Pistachio Baklava

    A Meyer lemon ginger tart with a piece cut out on white wood.

    Meyer Lemon Ginger Tart

    A tart with strawberries and blackberries on a white plate.

    Berry Tart With Mascarpone Cream

    Footer

    © 2021 · The Greek Foodie · All Rights Reserved