Simple and super delicious Chickpea Curry Soup. It's easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes. Serve with fresh crusty bread, vegan croutons, rice or warm naan bread!
Hello soup season and here I am introducing my Chickpea Curry Soup. It’s super hearty and cozy with warming, lightly spiced curry flavors, and I am so ready to curl up with big bowls of it all season long!
This delicious coconut curry soup is very weeknight dinner-worthy. We're talking a short ingredient list, quick to make and easy to boot. Just like my leek and potato soup, you can have it on the table within 30 minutes, or leave it simmering for longer if you get caught up with something else.
Bonus: Like most vegan soup recipes, it reheats really well too so you can enjoy leftovers another day and you can even make it in your Instant Pot or slow cooker.
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Ingredient notes
To make this Chickpea Curry Soup you'll be needing a big soup pot and these are the ingredients we are working with:
- Oil- For sautéing. Any such as coconut oil, olive, canola or vegetable oil will do. Feel free to use a few drops of water instead to keep the recipe oil-free.
- Chickpeas - From a can or home-cooked from dry. They are full of protein, filling and their flavor is just perfect with curry.
- Vegetables - Potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic. If you love garlic feel free to throw in some extra garlic cloves. Told you it was simple. Feel free to throw in any other veggies you have in the fridge that need using up too. Just about anything like kale, spinach, cauliflower, tomatoes, squash, sweet potato work well in it. If it's something delicate like greens though add them at the end as they don't need much cooking.
- Curry powder and coconut milk - The perfect curry combo. For that warming and delicious curry taste and creaminess. Full fat coconut milk is best but you can use light if you prefer. Curry paste will make a good alternative to powder.
- Soup staples - Stock, salt and pepper.
- Sugar - Just a touch to balance the flavors. A tiny hint of sweetness works so well in curry flavored anything.
How to make Chickpea Curry Soup
Here's how this chickpea coconut curry soup recipe comes together:
- Saute the onions and carrots then add the garlic and curry powder and cook for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add everything else except the chickpeas and coconut milk and let it simmer until the potatoes are tender.
- Use a stick blender for a few short bursts to partially blend a little of the soup. Or scoop a couple of cups out into a blender then add it back. The starchy blended potatoes thicken it really nicely without needing any flour.
- Coconut milk and chickpeas go in to finish.Stir it all up then let it warm through and you're done.
Serving suggestions
Coconut curry soup is so good with warm naan bread. My favorite accompaniment by far! If you don't have any naan, my 15 Minute No Yeast Flatbread make a great and super speedy alternative.
Crusty bread or sourdough are always good choices as are my No Yeast White Bread and Yeast-Free Spelt Bread.
Not forgetting carby additions like dumplings (there is a recipe in my cookbook) or fluffy rice, quinoa or any other cooked grains to ladle the soup over.
Garnishes such as croutons, roasted peanuts or cashews, chili oil, natural vegan yogurt, fresh cilantro, fresh mint, unsweetened shredded coconut, thinly sliced red onion, red pepper flakes, or a squeeze of lime juice or lemon are very welcome too.
Storage & freezing
Store leftover soup in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days and reheat gently in a pan on the stovetop or in a microwave.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge then reheat as above.
Want to add extra spices?
The soup is purposely mildly spiced so that it's family friendly but feel free to up the spice content. Add extra spices with the curry powder just after sautéing the onions and carrots and give them a minute or two to cook out and become fragrant before adding the other ingredients. Great additions are curry leaves, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, ground coriander, cinnamon, fennel, dried or fresh ginger or fresh or dried chili.
Recipe FAQS
Yes, this recipe is slow cooker and Instant Pot friendly. Instructions are included in the recipe notes.
Coconut milk is the best option for great flavor but cashew cream will work well too. Simply add raw cashews to a high-powdered blender with enough water to create a rich, cream once blended and use the amount speicfied for the coconut milk in the recipe. Any leftover cashew cream will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days.
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Recipe
Chickpea Curry Soup
Author:Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil , or a few tablespoons of water for oil-free
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 4 medium carrots , diced
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1½ tablespoon curry powder
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs / 6 cups) diced potato
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt , add to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 x 15 oz cans (about 3 cups) chickpeas ,( or 2 x 398ml Canadian cans / 400g cans in UK)
- 13.5 oz (398 - 400 mls) canned coconut milk , full fat is best but light is ok if you prefer
- 2 teaspoon white/cane sugar
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in large soup pan over medium heat.
- Saute the onion and carrots for about 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the garlic & curry powder and cook for about another minute until fragrant.
- Add the potatoes, stock, salt and pepper and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender (about 10 to 15 minutes).
- Using an immersion blender, partially blend the soup with a few short bursts. Or scoop out a couple of cups and blend in a blender then add it back to the soup pot.
- Add the chickpeas, coconut milk and sugar. Stir well and simmer over medium/low heat until heated through.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as necessary before serving.
NOTES
Instant Pot instructions
Saute the onions and carrot using the saute function on your Instant Pot until translucent. Turn the pot off and add the garlic and curry powder. Allow them to cook for a minute or two in the residual heat, then add the potatoes, stock, salt and pepper. Put the lid on, seal the vent and cook on manual for 7 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release the rest of the pressure.Using an immersion blender, partially blend the soup with a few short bursts. Or scoop out a couple of cups and blend in a blender then add it back to the soup pot.
Turn the Instant Pot to saute and add the coconut milk and chickpeas. Once it starts simmering and it's hot it's done. Turn off the Instant Pot and serve.
Slow cooker instructions
If using a slow cooker I highly recommend you first saute the onions and carrot in a pan first as per the recipe. Then add the garlic to the pan and let it cook for an additional minute, before transferring them to the slow cooker. This step adds so much extra flavour. If you don't have time though just throw it all in uncooked. Then add the curry powder, potatoes, stock, salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Cook on high for about 3 hours or low heat for 6 – 7 hours. Blitz a few times with an immersion blender to thicken (or scoop a couple of cups out and blend in a blender then return to the slow cooker), add the chickpeas and coconut milk then pop the lid back on and let it warm through for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.Storage & freezing Store leftover soup in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days and reheat gently in a pan on the stovetop or in a microwave. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge then reheat as above.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience. The data is a computer generated estimate and should be used as a guide only.
This recipe was originally published on October 15th, 2015. I've since rewritten the post and now I am republishing it for you. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Michelle Oie says
Absolutely loved this soup. Made on the stovetop with 2 tiny adjustments (reduced coconut milk & eliminated sugar). Loved the taste & texture. We loved this so much I will make this as a curry entree this weekend. Will bump up the vegetables, possibly with cauliflower or mushrooms.
Thank you!
Paul Foster says
Hi Mel.
I have an Instant Pot and wondered if you had a variation for cooking this recipe using dried chickpeas, or is it simply cook the chickpeas first separately, then continue?
Paul
Melanie McDonald says
I don’t have an Instant Pot version I’m afraid, but I would definitely cook the dried chickpeas first then continue. They take too long and get way too foamy and starchy while cooking to cook them from dry actually in the soup.
Once they are done though it would definitely be doable in the IP.
Rakel says
Made this yesterday in the slow cooker (did the veg first on a pan as you suggested) and we had it for our dinner last night with fresh thickly sliced bread, I got strange looks when I said I had made vegan soup, we love our meat, but he wasn´t disapointed, he has just come home for lunch from work to heat up some left over soup and he never comes home at lunch time so that says something :) Thank you and have a good weekend, Rakel x
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you both enjoyed it Rakel!
Terry H says
My partner who doesn't "Do Soup" tried this for the first time last week after I told him it was your recipe, he asked me yesterday when was I making it again, I can't praise this recipe any higher than that. You're a big hit in this house I can tell you.
Melanie McDonald says
I LOVE this Terry! Thank you so much ❤️
Nancy Cordaro says
This is an absolute staple in our household. I always have the ingredients on hand and the flavor is phenomenal. My family loves it!
I add about 2 teaspoons (more or less) of No Chicken Better Than Boullion and it sends it over the top. Thanks so much for sharing!
Roxanne Evans says
This popped up on my Google search so I decided to try it.
My husband said it's the best soup he has tasted.
Your recipes are lovely. Not vegan but will definitely try some others.
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you! I'm so pleased you both enjoyed it Roxanne!