Chickpea Oregano Soup

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Chickpea Oregano Soup is a deliciously savory, almost buttery, plant-based soup. Flavored with onion, garlic, oregano, and sea salt, this is a crowd favorite! Make a batch or two over the weekend to enjoy throughout the workweek! {Gluten-Free + Vegan}

Spiriteds, go with me on this. Chickpeas + oregano + onion + garlic = YUMMO. Omigosh, Chickpea Oregano Soup is a new favorite in our household. FOUR OUT OF FOUR of us LOVE this recipe. And if you’ve been following along long enough, then you know that’s a rarity in our picky eater household. Hi, I’m one of the picky eaters.

Anyway, I digress.

Your tastebuds won’t believe this buttery, velvety plant-based soup is dairy-free. And your clocks won’t believe this hearty, comforting soup is ready in under two hours. Because although I love a good slow cooker soup, and have several on the blog, the truth is, sometimes throwing ingredients in a pan and calling it done in about 90-ish minutes is also the way to go. Ooh, and with fewer than 10 ingredients, it’s a streamlined recipe. No long shopping lists at the store. If you have oregano and canned chickpeas, then you’re well on your way to a tasty dinner!

I was inspired to make Chickpea Oregano Soup when I saw Melissa Petitto’s Chickpea Soup with Garlic, Lemon, and Herbs recipe in her cookbook Eat Better, Live Longer: Lesson’s in Longevity from the World’s Healthiest Zones. Like Black Bean Soup, this recipe corresponds to other Blue Zones recipes, including those in Dan Buettner’s The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100.

If you find yourself eating the same thing day after day after day and haven’t tried Chickpea Oregano Soup, then, PLEASE DO. It is DELISH. 

Chickpea Oregano Soup is

• Gluten-free and vegan
• Savory and herbaceous
• Velvety in texture
• Easy to throw together
• Ideal for leftovers

Side note: Like our Black Bean Soup, we like to make Chickpea Oregano Soup on a Sunday afternoon to enjoy throughout the week. That is, if there are any leftovers by Monday! 

Chickpea Oregano Soup ingredients

• Olive oil. I add enough to cover the bottom of the pan when I sauté the onion and garlic, along with the sea salt. Once I add the water and chickpeas, then I’ll add more olive oil if I’m in the mood.
• Onion. While I used red for this recipe, white and yellow will also work.
• Fresh garlic. Yes, I really use 8 cloves. And, yes, you can add more like you’re preparing for a vampire invasion or fewer, if desired!
• Sea salt. I start with about 1/2 – 1 teaspoon while sautéing the onion and garlic and then add more when I’m ready to serve up. Adjust to your preference.
• Water. Leave it at room temperature or cooler. If the water or any other liquid is too warm, the tapioca flour will seize up and turn into a gel-like substance.
• Tapioca flour. This grain-free flour acts as a thickening agent and also creates a luminescent look to the soup, which is nice.
• Canned chickpeas. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Unlike when we make Homemade Classic Hummus, we don’t bother to peel the chickpeas for this soup. Everything just goes into the pot.
• Oregano. Two teaspoons of dried herbs, fresh AND dried, if you’re going all out.
• Bay leaves. I throw in three and let them work their magic.

How to make Chickpea Oregano Soup

1. In a rondeau pot or stockpot, combine the olive oil, garlic, onion, and sea salt. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the garlic has deepened in color but isn’t burned.
2. Next, add the water and tapioca flour, stirring quickly to prevent the tapioca flour from seizing up. Add the chickpeas, oregano, and bay leaves and then bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW, cover, and simmer for about 45 to 60 minutes.
3. Transfer 2 cups soup to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the purée back to the rondeau pot or stockpot, stir to recombine the ingredients, and simmer another 15 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaves and sprigs of oregano, if using, ladle into soup bowls, and enjoy!
5. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for about a week. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or a saucepan on a LOW setting.

Side note: When transferring 2 cups soup to the blender to be puréed, please make sure to avoid the bay leaves and fresh oregano sprigs. Leave those in the rondeau pot or stockpot and remove them just prior to serving the soup.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Simmer on a LOW to MEDIUM setting. This will warm the soup without overcooking it or causing it to lose too much liquid.
• Adjust the amount of soup puréed to control the soup’s thickness. Purée more soup for a thicker consistency and less for a thinner consistency.
• Once the purée is transferred back to the soup, simmer until the desired consistency is reached. I usually simmer for about 15 minutes, but you can adjust that up or down.

More savory slurps for dinner!

If plant-based soups are to you what dips are to Oliver Putnam, then check these tasty slurps out!

• Black Bean Soup
• Creamy Roasted Garlic and Onion Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always know I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Chickpea Oregano Soup

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Chickpea Oregano Soup is a deliciously savory, almost buttery, plant-based soup. Flavored with onion, garlic, oregano, and sea salt, this is a crowd favorite! Make a batch or two over the weekend to enjoy throughout the workweek! {Gluten-Free + Vegan}

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 75 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 5–6 servings 1x
• Category: Soups and Stews
• Method: Stovetop
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• Olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the soup pot)
• 8 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Few sprigs of fresh oregano, optional
• 3 bay leaves

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Instructions

1. In a rondeau pot or stockpot, combine the olive oil, garlic, onion, and sea salt. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the garlic has deepened in color but isn’t burned.
2. Next, add the water and tapioca flour, stirring quickly to prevent the tapioca flour from seizing up. Add the chickpeas, oregano, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW, cover, and simmer for about 45 to 60 minutes.
3. Transfer 2 cups soup to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Transfer the purée back to the rondeau pot or stockpot, stir to recombine the ingredients, and simmer another 15 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaves and sprigs of oregano, if using, ladle into soup bowls, and enjoy!
5. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for about a week. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or a saucepan on a LOW setting.

Notes

• Simmer on a LOW to MEDIUM setting. This will warm the soup without overcooking it or causing it to lose too much liquid.
• When transferring 2 cups soup to the blender to be puréed, please make sure to avoid the bay leaves and fresh oregano sprigs. Leave those in the soup pan and remove them just prior to serving the soup.
• Adjust the amount of soup puréed to control the soup’s thickness. Purée more soup for a thicker consistency and less for a thinner consistency.
• Once the purée is transferred back to the soup, simmer until the desired consistency is reached. I usually simmer for about 15 minutes, but you can adjust that up or down.