Chickpea Vegetable Soup With Parmesan, Rosemary and Lemon

Name: Chickpea Vegetable Soup With Parmesan, Rosemary and Lemon
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 whole clove; 1/2 onion, sliced root to stem so it stays intact, peeled; 1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained; 1 sprig rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped leaves; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 fresh bay leaves or 1 dried; 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, more to taste; 1 small Parmesan rind, plus 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan; 1 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh; 2 medium carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds; 2 celery stalks, sliced 1/4-inch thick; Zest of 1 lemon; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

By Melissa Clark

Updated Jan. 29, 2026

Chickpea Vegetable Soup With Parmesan, Rosemary and Lemon — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Total Time: 1½ to 2 hours
Rating: 5(4,384)
Comments: Read comments

This satisfying, colorful soup is loaded with chickpeas and vegetables, and it's incredibly easy to make. There's not much more to it than tossing everything into a pot and letting it simmer for a couple of hours (no sautéing!) until everything is tender. Do not forget to finish the soup with a flurry of the rosemary, Parmesan, lemon zest and pepper mixture. It really makes this soup sing.

Featured in: Secrets of the Bean Pot

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

1whole clove
½onion, sliced root to stem so it stays intact, peeled
1pound dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
1sprig rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped leaves
3garlic cloves, minced
2fresh bay leaves or 1 dried
⅓cup extra virgin olive oil
1½tablespoons kosher salt, more to taste
1small Parmesan rind, plus ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
2medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
2celery stalks, sliced ¼-inch thick
Zest of 1 lemon
¼teaspoon black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Insert the clove into the onion. Put the onion in a large pot with the chickpeas, rosemary sprig, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, salt and cheese rind. Add 5 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour, or until chickpeas are tender.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes, carrots and celery, cover loosely, and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes longer. While soup simmers, mix the chopped rosemary, grated Parmesan, lemon zest and pepper in a small bowl.
Step 3
Season the soup to taste and ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan mixture.

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Ratings

5 out of 5

4,384 user ratings

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Comments

Steve8 years ago

what happens if you use canned chickpeas?

chris8 years ago

Instead of dried or canned chickpeas, I use frozen chickpeas, found in the organic foods section (of my grocery store). The canned get mushy, the dried take forever to get soft, but the frozen, imo, are perfect.

Cindy8 years ago

I added canned beans between steps 1 and 2. Not at all mushy. I also added some leftover spinach and arugula at the last minute. Delicious!

Ricky B4 days ago

Outstanding, Loved the addition of the parmesan rind. Also used a whole onion and a a few more cloves. Great and easy dish.

Pumped from the PNW5 days ago

Very tasty and filling!

Dan2 weeks ago

This was fine. Eatable, but not something I would make again. Lacks a pop of flavor.

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