Classic, Creamy, Comforting Chickpea Chowder: Oil-Free, Plant-Based Recipe

Creamy and Satisfying Chickpea Chowder : Oil-Free, WFPB Vegan Soup

This creamy plant-based chickpea chowder recipe makes a healthy and satisfying plant-based meal.  A few simple ingredients come together with simple spices and fresh herbs.  Enjoy on a cold winter night for a warming oil-free vegan dinner.

How to Make a Delicious Chickpea Chowder

Being able to make a delicious creamy vegan soup is a simple skill that any beginner cook should know. When you follow a few simple steps, it’s easy to make a tasty recipe

Chef Katie’s Pro Tip: Soup is one of the first recipes we tackled in culinary school. However, I discovered in culinary school that creamy soups don’t necessarily require cream. In fact, “creaming” refers to the method of cooking. That smooth, creamy soup texture can come from pureed rice, a flour roux, mashed potatoes, or creamy beans.

Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Tips for Making Soup:

1. Start with Mirepoix. Mirepoix is culinary term used to refer to the three basic ingredients that are the foundation of many classic recipes: onion, carrot, and celery. The classic recipe is 2 parts onion to 1 part celery and 1 part carrot. In other words, use 1 whole onion for 2 stalks of celery and 1 large carrot.
2. Get some Golden Brown: You’ll want to saute the mirepoix until you get some golden brown around the edges. This change of color is called caramelization. It’s what happens when the natural sugars of the vegetables are released. It creates a subtle sweetness, adding layers of flavor to your soup. Be careful not to get too much brown, though. A darker brown (like the color of wood) indicates you’ve burned the vegetables and can make the final color of your soup dark brown — not too appealing.
3. Add the Aromatics: Aromatics are the ingredients that add unique flavor to recipes. These can include dried herbs, garlic, ginger, red chili, and dried spices. In this recipe, thyme and oregano combine with fresh garlic. Cook the aromatics 1-2 minutes to activate them. You should be able to smell the aromatics. Then, you’ll know you’re ready for the next step in cooking soup.
4. Add the Liquid: This step of soup cooking involves adding a plant-based liquid. This is when you’ll add vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, or water. For this recipe, you’ll use low-sodium vegetable stock or a bouillon cube.
5. Add the Beans: You want to make sure the beans cook in a plant-based vegetable soup for a good amount of time, allowing them to soak up the flavors of the soup. If using canned beans, always make sure to drain and rinse them.
6. Let it Simmer: Letting your soup simmer is a crucial step. This is when the flavors meld together. Plus, it allows everything to really mellow out to create balance. As a general rule, 25-30 minutes is the right amount of time for a vegetable soup to simmer. This is also the same amount of time you would simmer ingredients to make vegetable stock.
7. Finish with Fresh: I love finishing a hearty vegetable bean soup with a little bit of fresh flavor. This can come in the form of baby greens like spinach. Or, you can add fresh herbs like basil, parsley, and chives. Some plant-based recipes might even call for a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime.

For more Beginner Tips: Easy Oil-Free Recipes: Essentials for Beginners and Essential Whole Foods, Plant-Based Recipes You Need

Other Plant-Based Protein Options

Protein can be a big concern for anyone trying to eat a healthy, plant-based diet. Women need about 46g per day while men need about 56g. Beans are an easy way to add vegan protein to recipes.

However, there are lots of other options for adding plant-based protein to this hearty creamy chickpea chowder. You can add canned cannellini beans, frozen peas (at the end), or a whole grain pasta like Banza Chickpea Pasta. If you have cooked grains on-hand, you can add barley, quinoa, or farro to this recipe.

Low-Sodium Vegetable Bullion

While I do use a low-sodium vegetable bouillon cube for this recipe, you don’t have too. If you’re limiting your sodium intake, feel free to omit this. Instead, just use water in place of the broth/bouillon. You can add more flavor with fresh herbs like thyme, chives, parsley, or basil.

This is one of the essential plant-based recipes you’ll want to have in your cooking collection.

Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips

Vegetable Bouillon Cubes: There are good-quality vegetable bouillon cubes from Edward and Sons.  I always keep these on hand.  They can be helpful for adding more flavor to quick recipes, especially those with simple flavors.  If you’re worried about salt, you can use a low-sodium variety or omit.

Oil-Free Mission: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, like those found in refined oils. This recipe is 100% oil-free. You can use a little bit of water to saute the vegetables if they start to burn.

Classic, Creamy, Comforting Chickpea Chowder: Oil-Free, Plant-Based Recipe

• Medium
• Ready in: 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 cups

Similar Recipes: If you like this recipe, you’ll also love Italian Winter Minestrone Soup, Cavolo Nero: Kale and White Bean Soup, Farro Italian Vegetable Soup, Vegan Cream of Broccoli Super Soup and Easy Chunky Vegan Corn Chowder

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Creamy and Satisfying Chickpea Chowder : Oil-Free, WFPB Vegan Soup

This creamy plant-based chickpea chowder recipe makes a healthy and satisfying plant-based meal.  A few simple ingredients come together with simple spices and fresh herbs.  Enjoy on a cold winter night for a warming oil-free vegan dinner.

Course Dinner, Entree, Soup

Cuisine American, Comfort Food, Gluten-Free, New England, Plant-Based, Vegan

Keyword beans, classic, comfort food, comforting, creamy, freezer-friendly, gluten-free, heart-healthy, hearty, oil-free, plant-based, vegan, weeknight, wfpb

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Calories 180kcal

Ingredients

• 1 onion peeled and diced
• 3 carrots peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 6 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth maybe more, as needed
• 1 Russet potato peeled and diced
• 1 15-ounce can Garbanzo beans (aka Chickpeas) drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley or chives chopped

Instructions

• Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Chop the onion, carrots and celery while the pot preheats
• Add the mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) to the pot with a dash of salt. Cover and let sweat over medium heat. Stir often to prevent burning. Cook until the edges are golden brown and the veggies start to soften, 5-7 minutes. If it gets to dark, add a splash of water.
• While the mirepoix sweats, chop up your garlic. Add to the pot with the dried thyme and oregano. Cook until aromatic, 30-60 seconds.
• Add the broth, diced potato, and garbanzo beans. Cover, bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Simmer until the potatoes are mushy-ably tender, 20-25 minutes.
• Transfer about half of the soup (4 cups or so) to a blender. If using an immersion blender, transfer to another vessel for pureeing. Pure this half of the soup very well — you want a smooth, creamy consistency.
• Add the pureed soup back to the pot. Stir to combine. If needed, add more broth to reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper
• Stir in your fresh parsley or chives and serve!

Nutrition Facts

Shopping and Gear List

• Not-Beef + Not-Chick’n + Garden Veggie Edward & Sons Bouillon Cubes
• The Spice Way Thyme Leaves
• Simply Organic Basil Certified Organic
• Simply Organic Italian Seasoning Certified Organic

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