Enjoy a 30-minute, dump & start recipe for Moroccan Chickpea Soup, that's hearty, healthy, and full of flavor. Creamy Chickpeas are cooked with fire-roasted tomatoes and earthy spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika, which give this vegan and gluten-free soup its iconic bold and rich taste.
This is a very simple recipe in which I literally add the ingredients to the Instant Pot and turn it on. It's one of the easiest hands-off recipes that my family enjoys!
Other than chickpeas, tomatoes, and spices, I also add sun-dried tomatoes which add a nice balance of sweet and tart to this recipe. I add some spinach towards the end to make this a balanced one-pot meal. Enjoy this easy dump-and-start Instant Pot recipe for this popular vegan and gluten-free soup.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Here are a few reasons to love this soup:
- Balanced Meal: This soup is full of nutrients and is a healthy balanced meal as it includes all the food groups.
- Protein and Fiber Rich: The star ingredient in this soup, Chickpeas, are a great source of lean plant-based protein and fiber. Both these elements help one stay full longer, with fewer calories. It also slows down the carbohydrates break-down and sugar absorption in the body, which keeps the blood glucose levels from rising too fast. Chickpeas are also a great source of Iron, Vitamin A and Potassium.
- Vegan & Gluten-Free: All ingredients used in this soup are naturally vegan and gluten-free, which makes this delicious soup a real crowd pleaser. It's a great option for Meatless Mondays too.
- Easy Dump & Start Instant Pot Recipe: For weeknight cooking, I love recipes where I don't have to saute or simmer ingredients and the end result still tastes like a million bucks. If you're like me, this recipe is for you!
You might also like: More Dump & Start Recipes from my Kitchen
Ingredients- Notes & Tips
It takes a handful of pantry ingredients and a few fresh aromatics, like onion and garlic, to put this delicious soup on the table. Chances are, you already have most of them in your kitchen right now. Here's what you need:
- Chickpeas: For convenience, I used canned chickpeas in this recipe, but you can always use dried chickpeas and cook them from scratch using this easy Instant Pot garbanzo beans recipe (soaked and unsoaked).
- Veggies: I love adding celery, carrots and baby spinach in this recipe as they are very forgiving in soups and take on any flavor you add to them. Other vegetables that I have successfully used here are sweet potato, butternut squash, zucchini and baby kale.
- Tomatoes: I use fire-roasted tomatoes in this recipe, but you can use regular diced, if that's what you have on hand. I also add about a tablespoon of sun-dried tomatoes in this soup, which add a nice sweet and tart taste. But, since my kids are a little fussy about those, I chop it up and they literally dissolve after pressure cooking. You can skip them if you like. I also add tomato paste which adds a subtle sweet taste and helps thicken the soup.
- Chili garlic Sauce: Not a traditional ingredient for a Moroccan style dish, but I love how this adds an intense and bold flavor to the broth.
- Spices: The earthy and floral combination of cinnamon, cumin, coriander and paprika adds the bold flavors this dish is known for. And salt and pepper bring all the flavors together.
- Broth: I love using a low-sodium vegetable broth for this soup as it enhances the base flavors of the soup. Feel free to use chicken stock if that's what you have on hand.
- Finishing Flavors: Freshly squeezed lemon juice and a touch of honey or agave really tie in all the flavors. Adding honey or agave is optional though, so taste it and decide if you want to add it or not.
How to Make Moroccan Chickpea Soup
Here is a dump-and-start recipe for Moroccan Chickpea Soup in Instant Pot. That means, simply add in all the ingredients in the pot, turn it on and enjoy! Here's how I make it:
Step 1: Turn on the Instant Pot and add all the ingredients listed under 'Pressure cook'. Give it a stir.
Step 2: Close the lid and set Manual/Pressure Cook for 8 mins at high-pressure Set the vent to sealing position. Once cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes. After that manually release the remaining pressure.
Step 3: Open the lid after the pin drops. Using a potato masher, mash a few beans to thicken the soup a bit. Add chopped spinach, juice of ½ a lemon, and a teaspoon of honey. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes.
The spinach will wilt down and the soup will thicken a bit during these 5 mins. Enjoy as-is, or with a slice of toasted baguette, or couscous. For a gluten-free alternative, you can serve it with cooked quinoa.
Serving suggestion
Here's what to serve with Moroccan Garbanzo Bean Soup:
- Bread: I like to serve this hearty Chickpea Soup with toasted baguette. I cut the bread on an angle, toast it in the oven, or in a skillet, with a drizzle of olive oil. It's great for dunking in the soup. It soaks up the soup and tastes amazing .
- Couscous: Another great option is plain couscous, cooked in a flavorful broth, or, water seasoned with salt and olive oil. I follow the package directions and make it on the stove while the soup is cooking.
- Quinoa- Serve it with cooked quinoa for a gluten-free alternative.
How to Store & Freeze
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator (if frozen). Simply microwave it for 1 minute or heat it on the stove in a sauce pan.
If the soup looks too dry, add a few tablespoons of warm water to loosen it up.
Try a Variation
Turn it into a stew: This recipe can be used to make a Moroccan Chickpea Stew as well. Simply reduce the amount of stock or water to 1.5-2 cups, depending on how thick you like your stew. After pressure cooking, mash a few beans using a potato masher, which helps thicken the stew more.
Make it spicier: Add a tablespoon of Harissa and add a kick to this soup.
Chickpea Soup Italian: Substitute the spices in this soup with 2 teaspoons of an Italian seasoning blend and enjoy an Italian-style chickpea soup.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe has been tested in a 3qt and 6qt Instant Pot. It is very easy to double this recipe in a 6qt and 8qt. Simply double the ingredients, cooking time stays the same. I wouldn't recommend doubling this in a 3qt.
- This recipe uses canned chickpeas. If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight, drain and use in this recipe. Increase the pressure cook time to 45 mins at high pressure, followed by a natural pressure release for 15 mins.
- If making this recipe with unsoaked dried chickpeas, rinse and drain chickpeas. Add to the pot as per instructions and pressure cook 60 mins at high pressure, followed by a natural pressure release for 15 mins.
- You can customize this soup by adding veggies of your choice, like diced sweet potato, kale etc.
- Serve this soup with toasted sliced baguette. For a gluten-free option, this goes great with couscous or quinoa.
- To make Moroccan Chickpea stew using this recipe, simply reduce the amount of stock or water to 1.5-2 cups. After pressure cooking, mash a few beans using a potato masher, that helps thicken the stew more. Serve with toasted baguette and enjoy a hearty stew!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Soak the dried chickpeas overnight in 3 cups of water. Rinse and drain in the morning. Add to the recipe as per instructions and set the pressure cooker for 45 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally.
To make this Moroccan Chickpea Soup with unsoaked dry beans, rinse and add them and adjust the pressure cooking time to 60 minutes at high pressure, followed by a natural pressure release.
Based on 6 servings in this recipe, each serving has about 240 calories.
More Instant Pot Soups
These recipes are part of the Soup Recipes Collection.
More Chickpea Recipes from my Kitchen
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📖 Recipe
Moroccan Chickpea Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
Pressure Cook:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion chopped (1 medium)
- 4-5 cloves garlic crushed (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 cup carrot chopped (2 carrots)
- 1 cup celery chopped (2 Ribs)
- 31 ounce cooked chickpeas (2 cans) drained and rinsed
- 14.5 ounce fire-roasted tomatoes (1 can) or 4 medium size 'ripe' Roma tomatoes de-seeded & pureed coarsely
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sun dried tomatoes optional, but recommended
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (reduce to ¼ for milder taste)
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika (sweet not smoked)
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (optional but recommended) I use sambal olek, adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper or ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth or water
After Pressure Cooking:
- 2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon honey optional
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot. Add all the ingredients listed under 'Pressure cook', including vegetable stock. Give it a good stir. Close the lid and set Manual/Pressure Cook for 8 mins at high pressure. Set the vent to sealing position.
- Once the cook time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. After that manually release pressure.
- Once the pin has dropped, open the lid. Using a potato masher, mash a few beans to thicken the soup a bit. Add chopped spinach, juice of ½ a lemon, and a teaspoon of honey.
- Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. The spinach will wilt down and the soup will thicken a bit during these 5 mins. Enjoy as-is, or with a slice of toasted baguette, or, couscous. For a gluten-free alternative, you can serve it with quinoa.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips for Moroccan Chickpea Soup
- This recipe has been tested in a 3qt and 6qt Instant Pot. It is very easy to double this recipe in 6qt and 8qt. Simply double the ingredients, cooking time stays the same. I wouldn't recommend doubling this in a 3qt.
- This recipe uses canned chickpeas. If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight (or min 8 hrs), drain, and use in this recipe. Increase the pressure cook time to 45 mins at high pressure, followed by a natural pressure release for 15 mins.
- If making this recipe with unsoaked dried chickpeas, rinse and drain chickpeas. Add to the pot as per instructions and pressure cook 60 mins at high pressure, followed by a natural pressure release for 15 mins.
- You can customize this soup by adding veggies of your choice, like diced sweet potato, kale, etc.
- Serve this soup with a toasted sliced baguette. For a gluten-free option, this goes great with couscous or quinoa.
Ellen Patel says
This is just absolutely delicious! I’ve been making it in big batches and freezing into single servings for days when I’m too tired or busy to cook lunch. Even after being frozen, the flavor is out of this world and I love having something so healthy to grab. Thank you!
Aneesha says
Thank you, Ellen! I'm so glad you enjoy it. Thanks for taking the time to rate this recipe 🙏🏼
Cindy says
Such a perfect recipe!! The flavors are just right!! There were a few ingredients I didn’t have and omitted, and a few I substituted. I didn’t have carrots, celery, spinach, or chili garlic sauce. I added half of a huge sweet potato thinly cut, some red pepper,and a small amount of green peppers. I did not add honey or lemon at the end. The sweet potato gave just enough sweetness. I did soak my chickpeas overnight and I cooked them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in the instant pot for 5 minutes with ten minute release before I made this recipe. Thank you! It was great!
Aneesha says
Thank you Cindy, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Elizabeth says
This is a super recipe. You know it's good when your guests ask for the recipe 🙂 I sauted the onion/celery/carrot for a few mins in the Instant Pot before adding the garlic, and did add one large sweet potato (next time might add 2). Then followed the recipe and chucked everything else in the pot. I didn't have plain paprika so had to use sweet smoked. Definitely needed some sweetness at the end to balance that paprika & a small slug of maple syrup (instead of honey) worked great. Used 1 litre of water/stock to make it a summer soup and would probably use a bit more liquid if making it again in summer time as the soup/broth is delicious. Thank you for the recipe!!
Aneesha says
Sounds delicious. I'm so happy you enjoyed this dish! Thank you!
Shawna says
Our whole family loved this however I had to change a few things out of necessity (I found this recipe right at dinner time and had done no planning). I’m writing a review to help others if they get caught in my ingredient dilemma AND also for me to reference again in the future when I undoubtedly make this again. I used half a yellow and half a red onion and sweet potatoes along with the garlic, carrots, celery and onions. I didn’t use the optional sambol chili paste, the sun dried tomatoes or the honey. I sautéed the veggies, crushed garlic and aromatics for a couple of minutes before adding everything else. I thought I had garbanzo beans in my pantry and was so sad to find out I only had great northern 🤦🏼♀️! This was my dilemma, but I used them anyway and it was still actually really very good. Obviously will use garbanzo next time but we were totally happy with the great northern. The cinnamon, coriander, paprika, cumin and lemon (at the end) give this soup amazing flavor! That and sautéing a little first, I believe anyway. Thanks again! In the fall recipe rotation from now on!
Aneesha says
Thanks Shawna! I'm so glad your family enjoyed it so much!
Patt says
Fabulous recipe. I made it per the directions and it was very flavorful with just the right amount of spice and heat. This will be a "keeper" for me, already looking forward to leftovers!
Aneesha says
Thanks so much Patt, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe!
Greg says
Just made this, very tasty! I did saute the aromatics before pressure cooking. This recipe has a really nice balance of the earthiness of chickpeas, acid from the lemon, and sweet from the honey. Thank you very much for this recipe, it's a keeper!
Aneesha says
Thank you, Greg! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Christina says
I also wish I could give this 10 stars! I added some chicken breast to make it fuller and it was great! It was so easy to make amd my kids loved it!
Aneesha says
Thank you for your sweet words! Glad your family enjoyed it!
Adrienne Butler says
Wish I could give this 10 stars. So easy and delicious!
Aneesha says
Awww... thank you so much, you made my day! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Alissa Blackman says
This recipe looks amazing, and I plan to make it tomorrow in my new instant pot! I saw your note about increasing cooking time for dry garbanzo beans (I'm soaking mine right now). Should I also increase the liquid? And if so, how much extra should I add? I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Aneesha says
Hi Alissa, the same quantity of liquid should be fine. If you want to thin it after pressure cooking, you can add 1/2 cup water and simmer for a few minutes. Enjoy!
Laura says
This was so ridiculously good! I shared some of the leftovers with a family member and not only received rave reviews, but a request for more. Wow and thank you!
Aneesha says
Hi Laura, thank you for such a sweet comment! I'm so glad you and your family members enjoyed this recipe, it's one of our favorites too!
Julie Guinn-Bailey says
This was great! I added some potatoes since I only had one can of garbanzos. My teen son liked it too. It's a great use of staple items that you are likely to already have.
Aneesha says
Hi Julie, I'm so glad that you and your son enjoyed it! My girls (also teens) are very fond of this soup too 🙂
Grace Libby says
This is one of my new weeknight favorites. It's a ridiculously easy recipe that still creates a real depth of flavor. I've had it with sweet potatoes, grilled lamb chops, over couscous or quinoa, or just as in soup form. Thanks for the recipe!
Aneesha says
Hi Grace, thank you so much, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It's one of my favorites too! Thanks again for rating it 🙂