This chickpea noodle soup is a simple, one-pot meal made with everyday pantry ingredients that’s ready in 30 minutes and turns into a cozy, comforting dinner any night of the week.
For more easy soup recipes, check out our easy lentil soup with smashed walnuts, pinto bean soup, three bean orzo soup, and Greek chickpea soup.
Why you’ll love this chickpea noodle soup!
This chickpea noodle soup is the kind of meal you make when you want something warm, simple, and deeply comforting—without spending all evening in the kitchen 🍲 It’s easy, familiar, and made with ingredients you probably already have.
Louise and I cook this often on quiet weeknights. It’s a one pot chickpea soup that comes together in 30 minutes, with very little effort, and always feels satisfying at the table. No complicated steps. No special tools.
The soup is fiber-rich, full of vegetables, and with enough protein, making it a nourishing choice that fits naturally into a Mediterranean-style way of eating 🌿 It’s hearty without feeling heavy.
If you’re looking for an easy chickpea noodle soup or a cozy vegetarian soup you’ll want to make again and again, this one delivers comfort, balance, and simple pleasure 🍜
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Extra virgin olive oil: adds gentle richness and ties the flavors together. Substitute regular olive oil or avocado oil if you prefer.
- Onion: builds a sweet, savory base. Yellow or white onion both work, or use a shallot for a milder flavor.
- Carrots: add natural sweetness and color. Parsnips or diced sweet potato are good alternatives.
- Celery: gives balance and depth. If you don’t have it, use fennel or skip it without trouble.
- Garlic: brings warmth and aroma. Garlic powder works in a pinch.
- Bay leaf: adds a subtle background flavor. Leave it out if needed, or use a small strip of lemon peel.
- Dried rosemary: makes the soup feel hearty. Thyme or Italian seasoning are easy swaps.
- Chickpeas: the protein-rich heart of this pantry chickpea soup. White beans or cannellini beans work well too.
- Vegetable broth: keeps this a comforting plant based noodle soup. Use water plus a bouillon cube if needed.
- Pasta: any small noodles work for this chickpea soup with pasta, including gluten-free. You can use lumache like we do, or try ditalini, tubettini, stelline, orzo, small shells, elbow macaroni, acini di pepe, mini farfalle, or broken spaghetti.
- Parmesan or parsley: optional topping for freshness or savoriness. Nutritional yeast is a nice dairy-free option. Alternatively, just add a pinch of chopped parsley on each portion.
How to Make Chickpea Noodle Soup
1) Sauté the vegetables and herbs
Set a large pot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat.
Add the olive oil, chopped onion, carrots, and celery.
Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften.
Stir in the grated garlic, bay leaf, and dried rosemary.
Cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.
2) Simmer the soup
Pour in the rinsed chickpeas and vegetable broth.
Add the salt and black pepper.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
3) Cook the noodles
Add the pasta to the pot and stir.
Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 8–10 minutes.
Stir now and then so the noodles don’t stick.
(Check the pasta package for exact timing.)
4) Serve
Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley or Parmesan, if you like.
Tips
- Choose small pasta: Small noodles are easier to eat with a spoon in soup. You can use lumache like we do, or try ditalini, tubettini, stelline, orzo, small shells, elbow macaroni, acini di pepe, mini farfalle, or broken spaghetti.
- Stir after adding pasta: This helps prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom.
- Taste at the end: Pasta absorbs salt, so adjust seasoning once the soup is done.
- Use reduced-sodium broth: This keeps the flavors balanced and lets you control the salt.
- Rinse the chickpeas well: It removes extra salt and gives a cleaner flavor.
- If you are cooking for mixed diets: Serve Parmesan on the side so everyone can add it—or skip it—to their liking.
- For leftovers: Add a splash of broth or water when reheating, as the pasta thickens the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Small pasta works best, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
Just keep in mind that cooking time may change.
If you only have long pasta like spaghetti or tagliatelle, break it into smaller pieces before adding it to the pot.
That’s how my Italian grandma always did it—simple, practical, and absolutely approved.
You can, but keep in mind that the pasta will continue to soften as the soup sits. Like most weeknight noodle soup recipes, it’s best enjoyed fresh.
If you do need to make it ahead, cook the pasta for about half the recommended time. It will keep cooking in the hot soup and finish softening again when you reheat it.
Let it cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
It freezes better without the pasta. If freezing leftovers, expect softer noodles after thawing.
Yes, if you skip the Parmesan or use a plant-based alternative.
Absolutely. Spinach, zucchini, or peas fit well and keep it a comforting vegetarian noodle soup.
Just add a splash of broth or water when reheating and stir well.
More Chickpea Dinners to Try
- Chickpea sweet potato patties
- Mediterranean bulgur salad
- Chickpea shakshuka
- Chickpea shawarma bowl
- Chickpea salad sandwich with Greek yogurt
- Cauliflower shawarma bowl
- Turmeric cauliflower and chickpeas
- Dense chickpea sweet potato salad
If you try this Chickpea Noodle Soup Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Easy Chickpea Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 large carrots sliced into discs
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed – 15 oz / 400 g can or 1½ cups / 230 g cooked chickpeas
- 8 cups vegetable broth reduced-sodium
- 8 ounces pasta pick your favorite noodles
- ¾ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons grated parmesan or parsley – optional to serve
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 medium onion, 2 large carrots, and 1 rib celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until soft.Stir in 2 cloves garlic (grated), 1 bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon dried rosemary. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Simmer the soup: Add 1 can chickpeas (drained) and 8 cups vegetable broth. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Cook the pasta: Add 8 ounces pasta and simmer until tender, about 8–10 minutes.Stir occasionally. Cooking time depends on the pasta—check the package.
- Serve: Remove the bay leaf.Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan if you like.
Notes
- Extra virgin olive oil → regular olive oil or avocado oil
- Onion → yellow onion, white onion, or shallot
- Carrots → parsnips or diced sweet potato
- Celery → fennel, or skip if needed
- Garlic → garlic powder
- Bay leaf → small strip of lemon peel, or leave it out
- Dried rosemary → dried thyme or Italian seasoning
- Chickpeas → white beans or cannellini beans
- Vegetable broth → water plus a bouillon cube
- Pasta → any small noodles, including gluten-free. You can use lumache like us, or try ditalini, tubettini, stelline, orzo, small shells, elbow macaroni, acini di pepe, mini farfalle, or broken spaghetti.
- Parmesan → nutritional yeast or chopped parsley
- Stir after adding pasta: Prevents sticking
- Season at the end: Pasta absorbs salt
- Choose low-sodium broth: Better flavor control
- Rinse chickpeas well: Cleaner taste
- For mixed diets: Serve Parmesan on the side
- Reheat with broth: Pasta thickens the soup
- Store up to 3 days: Cool fully, refrigerate airtight
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
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delicious and healthy
My fist comment disappeared. Anyway I have found it’s far better to cook all pastas separately and add them in at the end. Otherwise all the vegetables turn to mush by the time the pasta is done.
Great flavor, I love that I have options with some of the ingredients
Vers good recipe . Was a bit septic off the match chickpeas and pasta.
Vers good récupérer. Was septicémie at the beginning the mix of chickpeas and partant. I was glad to have trier it