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.
Yield: 6 servings
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.
