Harissa Chickpea & Veggie Soup

ByThe Chef Investor

This hearty harissa soup is loaded with vegetables, chickpeas, quinoa, and leafy greens for a satisfying meal that’s as nourishing as it is comforting. Harissa adds warmth and depth without overwhelming the vegetables, while lemon and fresh parsley brighten everything up at the end.

It’s also one of those recipes that’s hard to mess up. Use the vegetables you have, swap in different beans or greens, and adjust the harissa to your preferred level of heat.

JUMP TO RECIPE ⤵

WHY THIS WORKS

HIGH-FIBER FOUNDATION

Chickpeas, quinoa, vegetables, and leafy greens provide a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber to support digestion, satiety, and a healthy gut microbiome.

PLANT DIVERSITY

One pot brings together more than a dozen different plant foods, including vegetables, legumes, whole grains, herbs, spices, and aromatics—an easy way to add more variety to your diet.

PHYTONUTRIENT-RICH

Tomatoes, peppers, kale, parsley, garlic, onion, herbs, harissa, and olive oil provide a colorful mix of carotenoids, polyphenols, and other beneficial plant compounds.

The Chef Investor

Harissa Chickpea & Veggie Soup

Print Recipe
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course, Soup
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 celery stalks cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 2 carrots peeled and cut into 1/4-inch half-moons
  • 1 red bell pepper seeded and roughly chopped
  • 2 potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 zucchini quartered and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 yellow squash quartered and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp vegetable bouillon paste, not powder
  • 1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 2 quarts water plus more as needed
  • 1/4 cup dried quinoa rinsed
  • 2 tbsp harissa paste
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 4 leaves lacinato kale stems removed and chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1 handful fresh parsley finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch Oven or Soup Pot

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook until they begin to soften, about 5–7 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and red bell pepper and cook for another 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the tomato paste, harissa paste, and vegetable bouillon. Stir into the vegetables and cook for about 1 minute.
  4. Add the diced tomatoes with their liquid and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  5. Add the potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, bay leaf, thyme, water, and rinsed quinoa. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.
  6. Once boiling, add the chickpeas. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes and quinoa are tender, about 15–20 minutes. Add additional water if needed to reach your preferred consistency.
  7. Add the chopped kale during the final 5 minutes of cooking and simmer until tender.
  8. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, harissa, or lemon as desired.

Notes

This soup is very flexible. Feel free to swap vegetables based on what you have on hand. Other greens, like Swiss chard, can stand in for the kale, and additional chickpeas can make it even heartier. Don’t have chickpeas? Try lentils or kidney beans.
For more heat, increase the harissa to 3 tablespoons. Start with 2 tablespoons if you prefer a milder soup.
The soup will thicken as it sits because of the quinoa and potatoes. Add a splash of water when reheating if needed.
Makes great leftovers!

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