Marry Me Chickpea Soup
Marry Me Chickpea Soup is a vegan take on the viral "marry me chicken." This comforting soup features sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, chickpeas, and orzo.
Print
Pin
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili paste (optional)
- 1 white or yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced (optional)
- 1 medium carrot peeled and diced (optional)
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas or white beans drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more or less to taste
- 4 ounces dry orzo or ditalini pasta (about 1/2 cup orzo or 3/4 cup ditalini)
- 2 cups Tuscan kale stalks removed, chopped
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk can sub cashew cream (recipe in notes), or store-bought nondairy cream
- 1/4 cup vegan parmesan plus more to garnish - I like Violife or Follow Your Heart
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil plus more to garnish
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil or vegan butter in a pot over medium heat till oil shimmers. Add red pepper flakes (optional), diced onion, diced celery (optional), sliced carrot (optional), and minced garlic, and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Cook the tomato paste: Add in sun-dried tomatoes, paprika, and tomato paste. Stir, breaking up the tomato paste to coat the aromatics, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens to a rusty color.
- Add broth + chickpeas: Add in vegetable broth to deglaze, scraping up anything sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add in chickpeas, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring this up to a boil.
- Add pasta: Stir in the orzo and reduce heat to medium-low, or as needed, to establish a rapid simmer. Allow the pasta to cook for about 10 minutes, or until it's almost done but still quite al dente (with a bit of chew in the center). Make sure to stir often to keep it from sticking to itself or the bottom of the pot.
- Add kale: Stir in the chopped kale. Keep simmering the soup for about another 5 minutes, until both the kale and pasta are tender. (If you're substituting spinach instead of kale, you can add it a little closer to the end since it's less hearty.)
- Finishing touches: Stir in the coconut milk (or other nondairy cream of choice), along with the vegan parmesan and fresh basil. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy: Serve with extra vegan parmesan and fresh basil. Goes great with a side of crusty bread.
Notes
Chickpea (Protein) Alternatives
- Vegan chicken: Make Marry Me Chick'n Soup by substituting about 2 cups of your favorite vegan chicken substitute, defrosted and chopped. Daring brand is really tasty and we use it in our Chicken Pot Pie with great success. You can also use 1 cup of dry soy curls — just rehydrate them in boiling water ahead of time, squeeze out the excess liquid, and coarsely chop.
- Vegan sausage: You can also sub the beans out for 12-16 ounces of your favorite plant-based Italian sausage. I recommend browning it first, then removing it from the pan and setting aside. Add it back to the soup at the end, to help keep it from getting soggy.
Coconut Milk Alternatives
- Cashew cream: Soak 1/2 cup raw cashews in water for 4+ hours, or boil for about 10 minutes. Blend with 3/4 cup fresh water until completely smooth. Makes about 1 cup.
- Nondairy cream: There are a few store-bought options on the market, from Silk, Country Crock, Forager, and Califia Farms, to name a few. I haven't tested these personally. You can also try adding in about 1/4 cup of your favorite vegan cream cheese — just stir it in to dissolve.
Other Recipe Notes
- Italian seasoning: You can sub in 1/4 teaspoon each of dried basil and dried thyme, plus 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. You can also add 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, parsley, or marjoram if you have them in your pantry.
- No vegan parmesan: If you don't like processed vegan cheese, you can always sub in a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast for the vegan parmesan.
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.