This chickpea stew is the ultimate warm, cozy winter food. It’s delicious, thick, and hearty. A crave-worthy cold-weather meal. This soup warms your body and soul—literally. The beans retain their heat; it’s hot until the very last drop.

I absolutely love this soup. It is easy to make, super affordable, and tastes amazing. The bold harissa and cumin flavor reminds me of travels to Morocco, many many years ago. It’s simple yet flavorful. This soup is inspired by a Tunisian chickpea soup called Lablabi, but it has morphed over the years with the addition of spinach and feta. The soup still feels very North African/Mediterranean. It’s a mouthful of deliciousness.

Is it Chickpea or Garbanzo?

I will never forget the day my husband discovered that chickpeas and garbanzo beans were in fact the same thing. I had asked him to pick up a couple of items at the grocery store on his way home, one of which was a can of chickpeas. As he tells the story, he looked and looked in the canned bean isle but didn’t see any chickpeas. Another man was also staring at the wall of beans.

Finally, an employee walked by, and the other man asked if they had any canned chickpeas. The store clerk pulled a can of garbanzo beans off the shelf and handed it to him “garbanzo beans are chickpeas”. Peter then quickly grabbed a can as well. They were schooled. I wonder how often this scenario plays out, and grocery store employees are asked where the chickpeas are. I certainly got a chuckle out of the whole ordeal.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas

Chickpeas are probably my favorite bean. We eat them all the time from tossing a handful into a salad to hummus. We are heavy consumers of these delicious white legumes. Chickpeas are an extremely healthy source of protein, fiber, Manganese, folate, and copper. According to Healthline, the high content of “protein and fiber in chickpeas may help keep your appetite under control”. Chickpeas are about as filling as it gets when eating plant-based foods. This chickpea soup is extremely hearty, one bowl and I’m done. Plus, the fullness you get from chickpea sticks with you. Healthline states that 1 cup of cooked chickpeas contains the following:

• Calories: 269
• Protein: 14.5 grams
• Fat: 4 grams
• Carbs: 45 grams
• Fiber: 12.5 grams
• Manganese: 74% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Folate (vitamin B9): 71% of the DV
• Copper: 64% of the DV
• Iron: 26% of the DV
• Zinc: 23% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 22% of the DV
• Magnesium: 19% of the DV
• Thiamine: 16% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
• Selenium: 11% of the DV
• Potassium: 10% of the DV

1 cup of cooked chickpeas contains a whopping 14.5g of protein, which is comparable to a 2oz chicken thigh. “Some studies have suggested that the quality of the protein in chickpeas is better than that of other types of legumes. That’s because chickpeas contain all of the essential amino acids except methionine.” Plus, you get the benefits of a fiber boost. Not bad at all.

How to Make Chickpea Stew

To start, cook 2 cups of chickpeas in an Instant Pot. Add the water, olive oil, kombu seaweed, and bay leaf to the Instant Pot. Use the Instant Pot beans setting, which is typically 45 minutes of pressure cooking. You can cook the chickpeas on the stove if you don’t have an Instant Pot, but the cooking time will be increased. For the stovetop version, cook beans for 2 hours at a low simmer.

Toast Up Some Bread

Next, make the homemade croutons. Preheat the oven to 400°. Tear up a loaf of crusty bread, like a sourdough or ciabatta, into approximately 1-inch bite-sized chunks. I love to use a loaf of homemade sourdough in this recipe. Spread the bread chunks out on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 10-12 minutes until they are crunchy and starting to brown. Set the croutons aside.

Prep the Soup

While the beans and bread are cooking, put a large soup pot on the stove. Add some olive oil and turn the heat up to high. Once the pan has warmed, turn the heat down to medium and add the chopped onion. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until it starts to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Next, add the cumin, harissa, tomato paste, and lemon zest. Cook the spice mixture for another 2 minutes. Then add the lemon juice and water and give everything a good stir. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer the soup on low until the chickpeas have finished cooking.

Once the chickpeas in the Instant Pot are ready, remove the bay leaf and kombu seaweed. Pour about half of the chickpeas and their cooking liquid into the soup pot. Then blend the whole thing with an emulsion blender (stick blender) right in the soup pot. Basically, we are using some of the chickpeas to thicken up this soup. Pour the remaining chickpeas and liquid into the soup and then bring the pot to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the fresh spinach. Give it all a good stir, the spinach will cook very quickly due to the residual heat of the bean soup.

To serve, toss a handful of the bread croutons into a bowl and then ladle the soup over the croutons. Garnish with fresh cilantro and feta cheese. Also, a fried egg is delicious on top. To make this vegan or dairy free, skip the cheese or opt for vegan feta. Pause before serving—this soup super retains its heat. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Yum!

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