This Lemony Chickpea Soup hits all the right notes. Hearty, with loads of chickpeas, orzo, and veggies … tons of flavor with a good dose of lemon and lots of dill … so so good.

A bowl of lemon chickpea soup with a spoon in it and lemons in the background

For awhile now, I’ve been dreaming of a sort of comforting lemony chicken soup situation … but with chickpeas instead of chicken because, you know, I’m a vegetarian and all that. After I recovered from pneumonia, I finally worked up enough energy to make it happen yesterday and oh. Oh my. This stuff is delicious.

Two bowls of chickpea orzo soup

It reminds me a bit of this chickpea and rice soup, but Lemony Chickpea Soup with Orzo & Dill comes across, to me, as a bit more special. First, I keep the veggies a bit chunkier than my norm, with the goal of everything being about the same size as the chickpeas. It makes for a heartier soup with nice consistent bites.

Two bowls of lemony chickpea soup

But what happens to this bad boy at the end of the process is really where it’s at, because you stir in a bunch of freshly squeezed lemon juice and toss in a big handful of fresh dill and oh mama!

Hearty, soothing, addicting, full of flavor.

(Oh, if you’re a dill lover like I am, have you tried Dilly Bean Stew from Alison Roman?! It’s pretty good, too!)

A close up of lemony chickpea soup with orzo and loads of fresh dill
5 from 6 votes

Lemony Chickpea Soup with Orzo & Dill

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 4
A hearty squeeze of lemon and loads of fresh dill liven up this chunky veggie, orzo, & chickpea soup.
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium leek (halved and sliced – about 1 cup chopped)
  • 1 medium carrot (medium dice – about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium stalk celery (sliced – about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 medium cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 15 ounces cooked chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed)
  • 1/3 cup uncooked orzo
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper + more to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill (chopped)
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice)

Instructions

  • Set a medium soup pot over low heat. Add olive oil, leeks, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Add garlic and turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute.
  • Add the vegetable broth, chickpeas, orzo, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in the dill. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired (I add at least another 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, but I like things on the salty side.)
  • Serve with additional dill as garnish.

Notes

Note that this soup actually doesn’t keep all that well because the orzo continues to cook and swell up. It’s still perfectly edible, but the soup thickens quite a bit after it sits. If you want to make it ahead, I suggest cooking it up to the point where you add the orzo. When reheating, bring to a boil, add the orzo, and continue from there.
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 286kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 313mg, Potassium: 434mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 671IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 81mg, Iron: 4mg
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