2.17.10 Chickpea Noodle Soup
Let me introduce you to one of my top five favorite meals, Chickpea Noodle Soup. It barely needs a recipe, because in reality you just throw a few things in a pot and be rewarded with the most satisfying soup 15 minutes later. This is why it is a weekly staple at my home. If you take a quick peek at the directions you will notice that I use water, not vegetable broth. It’s not that you can’t use broth here, because I have, it’s just that I don’t. Yes, you could jazz it up with broth or by adding carrots, celery, garlic and herbs, but I never do. The point of this meal for me is simplicity. No chopping, no prep time, no thinking. It’s what I make when I have little time, little motivation and a bare fridge. I make it when I am tired, hungry, and need the comforting only a hearty noodle soup can provide. A big batch lets me slurp noodles to my heart’s content. And sometimes that is just all I need.
Chickpea Noodle Soup
serves 6 (can easily be halved)
8-10 c water (I use 8 c, but like the last few bowls to be just noodles/chickpeas)
2 T olive oil
1 T salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1 lb pasta (I use thin spaghetti, broken in half)
2 15.5-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
black pepper, to taste
In a large pot, bring water to a boil, over high heat. Add olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and pasta. Reduce heat to medium-high, and add chickpeas. Gently boil, 8-12 minutes (depending on what pasta you use), until pasta is cooked through. Season to taste with black pepper.
Reader Comments (42)
The soup looks so yummie and easy to prepare. Yipee gotta love fast yummie meals like this! Thanks so much for sharing. :) Have a lovely merry sweet day and love to you!
my mom used to make garbanzo and noodle soup every sunday when we were kids. this is what i want for lunch today!
i am such a broth and noodle person. is there anything better than slurping a big bowl of noodles? i love that this comes together in an instant. perfect for nights when my options include oatmeal or PB out of the jar.
We make this A LOT because it's so easy. The only difference (and it's a huge yum factor!) is to use broth instead of water to cook the noodles. It makes it super creamy with no more effort than if you used the water. Here's ours:
http://www.kohlercreated.com/blog/?p=3238
Jessica
Jessica, using vegi broth never made a huge difference here for me. Plus it can be quite expensive when I want to cook a big pot and the point of this soup for me is that such yummy results can be achieved with a bare cupboard.
Merci for your wonderful comment on my blog! I can't wait to try this recipe - it is so simple and sounds delicious. :)
P.S. I just checked out your About page. You are beautiful!!!
I love it the most when you share these simple recipes! I cook something liket this too but sometimes, I substitute it with thin rice noodles.
Chickpeas and pasta. So good.
looks simple and good...a winner in my book! i love the touch of black pepper too.
When I make this I saute some onion/celery at first, which are always on hand and cheaper than stock. Then, after adding the chickpeas but before the pasta, I crush about half the chickpeas with a potato masher. It makes it thick and awesome. Try crushing some chickpeas for a slightly different version!
this looks so simple but delicious. perfect for a cold winter evening. thank you!
looks simple and yummy. Can't wait to give it a try :)
what can beat a simple hearty soup?!
It's simply beautiful! A bowl of this would make me very happy.
Gosh, I never knew chickpea noodle soup could look so mouth-watering. I wish you were my roommate :)
This dish just oozes comfort, Erin! I love chickpeas and always looking for new ways to cook with them... this is a wonderful, easy recipe--Thank you! :o)
This looks a recipe that I could handle :) Thanks E!
Mmm...this soup was just as described: simple and good.This will be my new go to comfort soup or to be made on nights when I am too tired to cook. Thank you!
dang, this looks terrific, so simple.
So ... this week I started a list (and a blog) I've dubbed "30 Before 30." Basically it's 30 things I need to do before I turn 30 (14 months away!). One item I just added to my list was, "Give the vegetarian thing a shot for one month." I was seriously having a panic attack about what in bloody hell I just did when I remembered your blog! And this very recipe is exactly what I needed to reassure me that good and easy food is entirely possible when going veg. Not only will I be stocking up on garbanzos and pasta, but I will be stalking your website madly for the next 30 days for more amazing recipes, I'm positive! Thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing this simple recipe! I love seeing what people make on weeknights when they just want to throw something quickly together.
So, I made this recipe the other night - following the instructions exactly. After the noodles finished cooking, I took the pot off of the burner and served myself a bowl. It was delicious!! But when I returned for a second bowl, literally ALL of the liquid had absorbed into the noodles. There was no soup left and the noodles were all soft and mushy - no longer al dente. I had to throw the rest of it out. Has this happened to you? Any tips to prevent this?
Dearest Erin, i hope you are doing well and good! Have a lovely merry happy weekend and love to you!
Hooray for easy meals! Gotta have some ideas like this to pull out of your back pocket when needed.
Hi G, I had made a note that I normally put in 8 c of water since I like the last few bowls to have no liquid, so perhaps I would try adding more water if this is not your preference. As far as the noddles go, I would just say they were overcooked. I never have a problem with mushy noodles, even when I have leftovers 2-3 days later (I've used all different brands as well).
I Love the idea of using chick-peas here! lovely soup!
I'm going to put this on my recipe list for next week. Thanks Erin!
this looks absolutely incredible! i've always disliked chicken noodle soup because of the chicken component (i think i tried campbells when i was younger and have been scorned ever since)--but i love brothy soups and the chickpea replacement sounds so interesting! can't wait to try!
Hi Erin!!!
I have missed my doses of your inspiration! The last couple months I have been so busy my cooking has gone down, way down. But yes, I am back and back to coming by here for all your wonderfulness!!!
I love the picture of you on the about page too -so cute!
oh yes, and this soup looks like just what I need. simple and yummy.
xo leslie
The best meals are the simplest :) I just got married and am running out of quick cooking ideas to make for the hubby so I'll be giving this a try! :)
Mmm, I never thought about using chickpeas in a soup like this. Lovely! Thanks a lot for sharing this idea.
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing. I heart chickpeas.
Dear Erin, visiting you here to see how you are doing. :) Have a lovely sweet weekend and love to you!
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Looks simple and satisfying -- I love quick and easy recipes, especially during the week!
I love this-I have everything on hand. Yum!
Your pic sold me on giving this recipe a try. I absolutely love the soup! It's simple to make & most important delicious!
I don't know what I did wrong, but mine did not come out so yummy. The hubs and I ate the whole pot in two sittings, but it was quite bland. Fearing it would be slightly bland, I subbed veg broth for water, and it still was kinda blah. Hmm... maybe it was the canned chickpeas, as opposed to fresh? Anyone else have the same experience? This was the only one of your [many!] recipes I've made and wasn't thrilled to make again. Sad. Oh well, that tempeh wrap looks fabulous! ;) Thank you.
Hi CassiMo, My thoughts with soups in general is that the seasoning really makes the difference. Depending on the pasta you use etc, you may need to add more salt/pepper, garlic, or perhaps a few red pepper flakes.