Creamy Carrot and Chickpea Soup with Kale

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This Carrot and Chickpea Soup with Kale is such an easy, hearty, and delicious soup! Chickpeas are roasted in the oven and then some are blended up with the carrots in a blender. Then cooked kale and roasted chickpeas are added for texture. It’s a lunch, an appetizer or dinner!

This Carrot and Chickpea Soup is about to become your new favorite make-ahead soup! Roasted chickpeas, onions, and thyme blend with carrots for an incredibly creamy base. The carrots add natural sweetness and richness, while the chickpeas bring depth and help thicken the soup. Thyme adds a gentle earthy, lemony flavor that pairs beautifully with the sweet carrots. Then, tender kale is stirred in for color, nutrition, and a satisfying texture. Finally, roasted chickpeas sprinkled on top add a delicious crunch to every creamy spoonful.

This Carrot and Chickpea Soup Recipe is so EASY!

This Carrot Chickpea Soup is light enough for a starter, yet hearty enough to serve as a satisfying meal. It’s vegetarian, but even meat-lovers will enjoy its rich flavor and hearty texture. Make a double or triple batch to have plenty for the week ahead. Enjoy it for easy lunches, or freeze portions for a quick dinner later.

If you love carrot soup, try my latest Golden Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe with Smoked Ham! 

Just a Few Simple Ingredients in this Carrot and Chickpea Soup!

• Carrots diced
• Yellow onion diced
• Fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Vegetable broth
• Can of Chickpeas
• Fresh Kale, cut into strips and loosely packed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Kale Adds More Nutrition to this Carrot Soup

I love adding kale to recipes whenever I can, and this Carrot Soup is a perfect place for it. The kale adds a beautiful pop of color, a little texture, and a boost of nutrition without taking away from the naturally sweet, creamy flavor of the carrots.

With my Certification in Nutrition & Healthy Living from Cornell University, I’m always looking for simple ways to add more nutrient-dense ingredients to everyday meals. Kale is one of my favorites because it’s so incredibly versatile. I add it to morning smoothies, lunch salads, grain bowls, and all kinds of dinner recipes.

It’s also packed with fiber, vitamins, folate, and minerals like magnesium. But perhaps my favorite thing about kale is that it doesn’t have to feel like a “healthy addition”—in this soup, it simply becomes another delicious ingredient that adds flavor, color, and texture.

Try adding Kale to a Chicken Tortilla Soup too!  Or how about Shell Pasta with Italian Sausage?

Chickpeas Thicken this Carrot Soup Plus Add Protein and Fiber

Chickpeas add another layer of flavor and heartiness to this soup. They also help create a creamy, satisfying texture when blended with the carrots. Plus, chickpeas provide plant-based protein and fiber, making this soup filling enough for a complete meal. You often find chickpeas in Indian, Mediterranean, and Moroccan dishes, but they’re incredibly versatile. I love adding them to my Mediterranean Sheet Pan Dinner and Family Chickpea & Veggie Coconut Curry. They work beautifully here, too!

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps for you Carrot and Chickpea Soup

Start by roasting the chickpeas at 400°F for about 25 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easier cleanup.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat them thoroughly dry. Spread them onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Toss everything together until the chickpeas are evenly coated. Spread them into a single layer, leaving space between each one.

Roast until they’re golden and crispy on the outside. They should stay soft and chewy inside, with a deliciously deep roasted flavor.

Next we will sautee the Kale first in the same pan as the soup, so slice the kale and then add it to the pot with a drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper.  Stir the Kale around as you cook it for just 2-3 minutes until the kale is wilted.  You want to maintain the beautiful green color and fresh flavor.  Remove the Kale and set aside for adding back in the soup later.

Cooking The Final Soup

The star of this soup is of course, the carrots.  I recommend buying whole carrots vs. using baby carrots as the whole carrots are sweeter and fresher – and therefore, have better flavor – when you peel them and cut them yourself.  Simply dice them into roughly the same size so that they cook at the same rate.

Next come the onions.

TIP: If you worry about getting pieces of slightly crunchy onion in your soup even after it’s blended, USE FROZEN ONIONS!  When they cook, they have more water content from being frozen, so they cook very soft right from the start, but still give you all the flavor.  Just be sure to cook off any excess water in recipes.

You can buy frozen onions, but I like to make my own, because it’s cheaper and so easy.  Simply dice the onion the day before and place it in a freezer bag in the freezer overnight.

Add the carrots, onions, and thyme to a medium to large pot over medium heat that you have coated with a little olive oil.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.  Stir them and cook for about 5 minutes until starting to soften.

Then add the vegetable broth and then bring to a boil.  Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and remove cover to let cool for a few minutes before adding it to the blender.

Now add ¾ of the roasted and crisped chickpeas into the blender, then pour the soup into the blender and pulse to start to combine then blend until smooth.  You can also use an immersion blender and simply blend the soup right in the pot you cooked everything.

Pour the soup back in the pot and turn the heat on low.  Add in the cooked Kale and mix to combine.

Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped roasted chickpeas.

Carrot and Chickpea Soup Recipe FAQs

What can I add to give this carrot soup some spice or heat?

If you’re looking for a kick in this soup, you can add ½ teaspoon or more to taste of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or even jalapeno peppers.  You can also add ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg for just a touch of warmth vs. heat.  If you want to go with a fresh pepper, like jalapenos, add them in with the onions so they are pureed in the blender.  However, if you are adding a dried spice, you can add a pinch at the very end a little at a time until it reaches your desired heat level.

Is this carrot soup Gluten Free?

Yes, this soup is gluten free if made exactly as indicated in the recipe.  There is no flour or other gluten product used to thicken the soup.  Chickpeas and carrots blended together create the creamy consistency of this delicious soup!  

Is this recipe dairy free?

Yes, there is no dairy needed in this recipe to get a beautifully creamy texture!  No milk, coconut milk, or any similar ingredient needed!

Can I replace the onions or eliminate?

Yes, if onions are not your thing, then you can certainly eliminate them and replace with other aromatics, such as garlic, scallions, or chives.  I will say that if you just don’t like the taste of crunchy onions, then rest assured, the onions in this recipe are completely blended into the carrots and chickpeas.  That means that from a texture standpoint, they are totally smooth and undetectable expect for the delicious flavor they impart.   

Can I substitute fresh Spinach for the Kale in this Creamy Carrot Soup?

If you want a substitute for the kale, you can use fresh baby spinach. However, for Baby spinach, you will not need to cook it in advance. Instead you can simply add it to the soup in Step 9. Bring the soup to a simmer to cook the spinach down into the soup for just a few minutes. There you have a Carrot, Chickpea, Spinach Soup!

What can I do with extra fresh carrots?

I would just add them to the soup! Carrots go into so many soup recipes and casseroles. I love carrots in this Chunky Chicken and Veggie Soup. You can also make the carrots the star of a side dish by with this Roasted Carrot recipe. If you have any leftovers, you can freeze it and save it for later! (see the next question).

Can I freeze this Carrot and Chickpea Soup?

Yes, this soup can be frozen for up to 6 months.  The best way to freeze it is to portion it out into 1, 2, or 4 servings.  Then pour it into a freezer bag and freeze it flat.  Once flat frozen, it can be easily stored by stacking it like a book.  To reheat it, you can either thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or run it under cool water to loosen it up, then break it into pieces to add to a pot.  Cover the pot and reheat on medium-low heat.

What are some good toppings or garnishes for this Carrot Soup?

Some delicious toppings or garnishes for this Carrot and Chickpea Soup are some extra crispy chickpeas for texture. You can add a dollop of sour cream for cool, fresh creaminess. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil adds a finishing fruity flavor. And finally, fresh parsley adds a pop of color.

What can I serve with this carrot soup?

This carrot soup is definitely hearty enough to be a meal, but here are a few ideas of things to serve with it. A simple salad is always great with soup and I love this Herb Parmesan Crisps and Shallot Vinaigrette Salad. I also love a good quinoa salad! Try this Veggie Quinoa Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing.

If you prefer the grilled cheese route with this soup, try my Spinach Artichoke Chicken Stuffed Pitas!

ENJOY!  😍 Carrie