Description
Lemony Greek Chickpea Soup is a vibrant, protein-packed vegetarian soup inspired by Avgolemono Soup. It features chickpeas, orzo, fresh vegetables, and kale in a fragrant, silky lemon-infused broth, perfect for a nourishing meal ready in just over 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow or sweet onion
- 3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 2 (2-inch) strips lemon peel
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 handfuls roughly chopped or shredded kale
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Liquids and Broth
- 2 quarts (8 cups) lower-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
Pantry Staples
- 2 (15.5-oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup dry orzo pasta (regular or whole-wheat)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
Egg Mixture
- 2 large whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions
- Heat oil and sauté vegetables: Heat oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrots, celery, and lemon peel. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute until aromatic.
- Add broth and simmer: Pour in the vegetable broth and increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add the chickpeas, orzo, kosher salt, black pepper, and dried oregano. Simmer uncovered over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.
- Temper the eggs: Reduce heat to low. Remove 3/4 cup of hot broth from the soup and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, and lemon juice. While whisking constantly, very slowly stream the hot broth into the egg mixture to temper the eggs and prevent scrambling.
- Combine egg mixture with soup: Gently stir the soup with a wooden spoon or ladle and slowly stream the egg-broth mixture back into the pot. Add the kale and continue to cook over low heat for 5 minutes until the broth slightly thickens and the greens wilt. Remove the lemon peels from the soup.
- Finish and serve: Stir in the fresh dill and adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra fresh dill, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- To maintain the silky texture, slowly temper the eggs by gradually adding hot broth while whisking to avoid scrambled eggs.
- You can substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth if not making this vegetarian.
- For greens, spinach, Swiss chard, or escarole can be used instead of kale for variation.
- The lemon peel imparts brightness but should be removed before serving to avoid bitterness.
- This soup is protein-packed and ready in just over 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick, nutritious meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.66 cups
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 890 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
