Chickpea Soup with Parmesan Crostini

This easy chickpea soup is spiced with paprika and cumin and is hearty enough to stand on its own for dinner. It’s a quick 30-minute soup with minimal prep work and is garnished with homemade Parmesan crostini that takes only a few minutes to make while the soup is simmering.

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There are quite a few reasons to love this time of year – warm and cozy sweaters, warm and cozy coffee drinks, and warm and cozy dinners – the warmest and coziest of dinners being soup, of course.

So, in the spirit of warm and cozy, I’m sharing bowls of chickpea soup lightly spiced with paprika and cumin. It’s a deceptively hearty soup so you only need some parmesan crostini to make it a filling dinner.

Some soups are meant to be light – like my garlic soup and easy tomato-basil soup – but this chickpea soup is anything but. It’s thick and loaded with chickpeas so it’s not an appetizer-type soup, but can stand alone as it’s own lunch or dinner. Yet, it’s still easy to make – the soup itself takes less than 30 minutes which leaves enough time to make a batch of crispy parmesan crostini to serve alongside it.

Hearty chickpea soup with crusty golden Parmesan crostini is my idea of a cozy fall dinner 🍂

Chickpea Soup Recipe

• First, you saute some chopped onions and garlic in some olive oil for just a few minutes.
• Add the spices: I like to use smoked paprika, but I’ve made it with regular and it’s just as delicious so no need to run out to by the smoked kind if you don’t have it. You’ll also add some cumin at this point and cook both spices with the onions and garlic for a minute or so.
• This soup has two cans of drained chickpeas – it seems like a lot, but since the soup is pureed I like to load the soup with them. It’s what makes the soup so filling and satisfying.
• Once you’ve added the chickpeas, add tomato puree and water. Give it all a stir, bring it to a simmer and let it be for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• After it’s simmered, I like to add some fresh spinach, salt and pepper and then puree the soup until it’s smooth.
• You can serve the soup as it garnished with some grated parm and parsley, but adding some Parmesan crostini is a nice touch.

How to Make Parmesan Crostini

While the chickpea soup simmers you can make a batch of crostini that is perfect for dipping in the soup.

• I like to use a thin French baguette with a chewy crust. You can make as many crostini as you like.
• Brush the sliced bread with olive oil and place them in an even layer on a baking sheet. Top each slice with about one tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese.
• Pop the baking sheet under the broiler for a few minutes until the bread turns golden and crispy and the cheese melts. Keep an eye on them while they’re in the oven – they go from golden to burned in a blink.

To serve, I like to float a crostini on top of the soup and serve the rest on the side. I hope you enjoy this hearty and cozy soup!

Happy soup-making,

More Soup Recipes

I love a cozy bowl of soup – here are a few more favorites you might like, too!

• Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque | This soup is a step-up from a basic tomato soup and is garnished with homemade croutons and crumbled blue cheese.
• Vegetable Beef Soup | This classic is made with quick-cooking sirloin so you don’t have to cook it all day. It’s loaded with fresh vegetables, too, like carrots, green beans and potatoes.
• Chicken Noodle Soup | You can’t go wrong with chicken soup when it’s cold and this version doesn’t take all day to make!

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