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Lemony Greek Chickpea Soup

Lemony Greek Chickpea Soup

Lemony Greek Chickpea Soup is a protein-packed vegetarian delight with orzo and fresh vegetables in a fragrant, silky broth, inspired by Avgolemono Soup.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Soup/Stew
Cuisine Greek
Servings 6 cups
Calories 340 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or stock pot

Ingredients
  

Vegetables and Base

  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped yellow or sweet onion
  • ¾ cup finely chopped carrots
  • ½ cup finely chopped celery
  • 2 (2-inch) strips lemon peel
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice divided
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 quarts lower-sodium vegetable broth (sub chicken broth if not making vegetarian)

Main Ingredients

  • 2 (15.5-oz.) cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • ¾ cup dry orzo pasta (regular or whole-wheat)
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 2 large whole eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 handfuls roughly chopped or shredded kale (sub spinach, Swiss Chard, or escarole)
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill (plus more for garnish)

Instructions
 

Cooking Steps

  • Heat oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrots, celery, and lemon peel. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic; cook 1 more minute, until aromatic.
  • Add broth and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add chickpeas, orzo, salt, pepper, and oregano. Simmer soup over medium-high heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Reduce heat to low, and remove ¾ cup hot broth from the soup. Set aside.
  • Place whole eggs, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a large bowl; whisk until combined. While whisking constantly, VERY slowly stream hot broth into egg mixture.
  • While gently stirring the soup with a wooden spoon or ladle, stream the egg-broth mixture back into the pot of soup. Add kale and continue to cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the broth is slightly thickened and greens are wilted. Remove lemon peels.
  • Stir in fresh dill and taste/adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh dill, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

Notes

Let the soup come close to room temperature before transferring to an airtight storage container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat stovetop or microwave; adjust consistency if too thick. Freeze soup in a freezer-safe, gallon-sized ziptop bag for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.66cupsCalories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 15gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 890mgFiber: 8gSugar: 9g
Keyword Avgolemono Soup, chickpea soup, healthy soup, Lemony Greek Chickpea Soup, soup recipe, vegetarian soup
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