30-Minute Marry Me Chickpea Soup

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You guys, I love this soup so much. It is now a back-pocket recipe that I have memorized and shortly, you will too. The brothy base is inspired by the creamy, savory “marry me” flavors of popular chicken recipes, but turned into a soup with chickpeas (one of my pantry staples) and tiny ditalini pasta instead! My ultimate comfort is dunking a thick slab of buttered sourdough bread in a hot bowl of it – so much yum.

In the kitchen, I’m always thinking about how to layer flavor quickly without sacrificing depth, especially with a 30-minute recipe. The sun-dried tomatoes do a lot of the heavy lifting here—they bring that concentrated, slightly sweet tang that makes the broth feel like it’s been simmering for hours. Paired with plenty of garlic (non-negotiable for me) and oregano, then finished with luxurious cream, you’re getting sooooo much oomph in every bite.

Topped with fresh parmesan and basil, it’s the kind of bowl that leaves me a little speechless.

I used chickpeas in place of chicken for the perfect heft.
I tested white beans, but their softer texture didn’t compare—I love how chickpeas hold their shape and bring more flavor, too. And we have to talk about the ditalini pasta! Tiny, but important. And cute. They really make the soup feel like a full meal rather than just a brothy bowl and add a nice chewy bite.
Enjoy! – Amanda

P.S. I finally found a gluten-free ditalini last year and you’d never guess it. It’s the best I’ve ever had in both taste and texture, imported from Italy. Even though it’s gluten-free, this corn-based pasta has an al dente bite and never falls apart. It’s 100% worth ordering.

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30-Minute Marry Me Chickpea Soup

This cozy, flavor-packed Marry Me Chickpea Soup is a weeknight win, where sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and oregano simmer in a lightly creamy, luxurious broth. Chickpeas and tiny pasta add satisfying heft (with a handful of spinach for greens)! Finished with parmesan and basil, it’s a bowl you’ll go back to for seconds every time.

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Prep Time :8 minutes minutes

Cook Time :20 minutes minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Amanda Paa

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil from a jar of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
• 1/2 of a large onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drain them before you chop)
• 6 1/2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons Better than Bouillon chicken base or roasted garlic base*
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup dry ditalini pasta (or other small pasta shape)
• 3 cups spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped basil + more for serving

Instructions 

• Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil, let it heat it up, then add onion and a pinch of salt. Saute for 6-7 minutes, until translucent and nicely softened.
• Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the entire time – this will cook it and it will turn darker red.
• Then add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring.
• Add water and Better than Bouillon, scrape bottom of pot to deglaze. Then add chickpeas and pasta, and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, then cover and cook until pasta is al-dente, according to package directions.
• When pasta is done, turn heat to low and add spinach, cream, vinegar, and parmesan cheese. Stir to help spinach wilt and incorporate cream. It should just take a few minutes to wilt. Do not boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in basil. Taste and adjust with salt if needed. The flavor should pop and be rich and delicious. To serve, top each bowl with more basil and parmesan cheese.

Notes

*Over the last year, I’ve come to LOVE using Better than Bouillon bases rather than a box of chicken/vegetable stock for soups. The paste has infinitely more depth of flavor – plus a jar lasts a long time in the refrigerator. Very much worth having on hand. 

That being said you can use the same amount of boxed chicken stock or vegetable stock if you’d like – you may just need to add more salt. 

*Leftovers may thicken slightly, but will loosen again when you reheat. You can add a bit more water if it is still too thick.