Tomato, Chickpea & Coconut Soup

tomato chickpea & coconut soup (vegan) / @loveandlemons

This is the perfect pantry soup. I’m even betting that most of you have these ingredients on hand already. We’re all about fresh eating around here, but there’s nothing wrong with opening up a few cans from time to time… especially in the middle of winter when you crave tomato soup and tomatoes are not in season.

The soup is basically: 1 can of tomatoes, 1 can of chickpeas, and (part of) 1 can of coconut milk. The chickpeas thicken the soup and the coconut creates a creamy, velvety texture without adding real cream. For a lighter soup, you can use light coconut milk or—get this!—the leftover watery milk from the can after you’ve made coconut cream.

Of course no tomato soup would be complete without grilled cheese. I’m sure you don’t need a recipe… a good simple grilled cheese is really about good ingredient choices. At the moment I’m particularly fond of this combo: Sourdough from Easy Tiger, Champagne Cheddar from Whole Foods, with a spread of dijon and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Grill on a cast iron grill pan. Dunk in soup.

4.9 from 23 reviews

tomato chickpea & coconut soup

 
Author:
Serves: serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 big garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
  • ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar, more to taste
  • 1 14-oz. can of diced tomatoes
  • a few pinches of sugar, optional
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 cup coconut milk, full fat or light
  • 1.5 cups water
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, very optional, skip if vegan
  • red pepper flakes, optional for garnish
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a medium pot. Add the onion, garlic a few pinches of salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the paprika and cook until fragrant (30 seconds or so). Add the balsamic vinegar and stir. Add the tomatoes, sugar and thyme leaves. Stir, then add the chickpeas, coconut milk and water. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Uncover and let cool slightly.
  2. Transfer to a blender and puree. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding parmesan cheese, if desired. If the soup is thick add a little water to thin to your desired consistency.
  3. Scoop into bowls and top with remaining chickpeas, red chile flakes and a drizzle of olive oil.
  4. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches for dunking, and extra balsamic on the side.
Notes
This soup gets better on the second and third day, so this is a great one to make in advance.

If you don't like coconut, use heavy cream in place of the coconut milk.

If you don't have fresh thyme add ¼ to ½ teaspoon dried thyme or oregano.

 

112 comments

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. ana
    02.14.2014

    Hi, this is the first recipe i have tried from this blog and i loved the soup. i think it would be a great entree replacing the grilled sandwich for a couple of grilled shrimp! love the coconut milk and the hint of red pepper flakes!
    One question, my soup did not look as smooth as yours..do i have to strain it? Tx

    • jeanine
      02.14.2014

      Hi Ana,

      So glad you liked it! I didn’t strain it, it blended really smoothly in my Vitamix…

  2. irma
    02.10.2014

    I loved this soup, it was delicious. Heartier than normal tomato soup, and not so typically flavored (basil/oregano) it was great for a non-summer soup, in the cold Boston area. Also, the coconut milk seems magical. I left out the vinegar. Yum yum yum. Thank you for sharing your creativity!

    • jeanine
      02.10.2014

      Thanks Irma, glad you liked it :). I know, sadly in the winter I have no basil… I’m sure I’ll make a lighter version for summer!

  3. Ashley C
    02.02.2014

    Do you have any idea what the nutrition breakdown is per serving because I’ve been making several of your recipes and have to cut myself off from eating it ALL! I’ve made your curried sweet potato soup 2x in 3 days!!

    • jeanine
      02.02.2014

      Hi Ashley – glad you liked the sweet potato soup (and other recipes!!).

      I don’t do nutritional info for a few reasons… personally, when I get too rigid about “my diet” I tend to go crazy and feel deprived. I’ve been able to maintain a much healthier weight when I just try to be mindful, eat (mostly) balanced, and have a positive relationship with food… The more good things I eat, the less bad things I crave, and (I find) that I don’t see a weight fluctuation even though I use a good amount of oils, healthy fats, salt, etc. (again, this is my personal experience – and I totally understand if some people work better with actual facts and figures).

      The other main reason is that recipes are so adaptable so the count could actually vary a lot – if some people need to use less oil, light coconut milk vs. regular , etc – it’s all totally doable… I try to offer suggestions when those options are applicable so people can customize recipes to fit their own individual diets…

      Thanks for the great comment! I totally hear ya… I have a pretty big appetite and I am not especially good at portion control when I’m hungry 🙂

  4. Anna from cutepaperstory.com
    02.01.2014

    I just made this soup for my weekly work soup club which is 2 days away. I don’t think it’s going to last, it is FANTASTIC! I added some vegetable stock instead of water, and a bit more garlic, but otherwise followed the recipe closely. I am in love! I”ll be checking out your other recipes!
    Thank you!

    • jeanine
      02.02.2014

      Hi Anna, Thanks I’m so happy to hear!! :).

    • Caleb Johnson
      10.19.2017

      I made this today and I was slightly disappointed in the taste… It was a bit grainy in texture, I added some vegetable stock and more seasonings which kicked it up a bit. I served with avacodo mayo ( Dijon + avocado +olive oil and lemon) tomato sandwiches.

  5. Victoria
    01.31.2014

    I want to let you know that I have done this soup at least four times in the last 2 weeks. Love love love LOVE it thank you so much xxx

    • jeanine
      02.02.2014

      Hi Victoria – I’m so happy to hear it’s made it to your regular rotation! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  6. Alanna from bojongourmet.com
    01.28.2014

    This soup looks utterly perfect! Thank you for sharing – I can’t wait to make it.

  7. Lauren from sofreshnsogreen.com
    01.27.2014

    Wow!! I made this soup tonight and it was everything I remember creamy soups tasting like in my pre-vegan life. I used vegetable broth instead of water and added fresh tomatoes along with the canned for additional flavor. My MLB (meat-lovin boyfriend) loved it too. I have a feeling this will become a staple. Thanks Jeanine!

  8. Kate
    01.27.2014

    This is simmering now and I’m so excited for the final product! I almost wonder if you could add curry paste for a different kind of meal? Might have to try it out when this batch is done!

  9. Abby from thehappyfooddance.wordpress.com
    01.18.2014

    I love the idea of adding coconut milk to soup so it isn’t too rich or heavy. Soup looks cozily delicious! I think I’ll toast a few chickpeas to top it off.

  10. Marie from latassefumante.com
    01.18.2014

    This soup looks delicious, I’ll make sure to try it next time I’m off 🙂

  11. Pang from circahappy.com
    01.17.2014

    You read my mind. This could be THE tomahto soup I can make before tomatoes are in season again. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you as always for sharing lovely pics & great recipe. Have a wonderful weekend 🙂

  12. Jordan from jordansfamilyoffoodies.com
    01.17.2014

    This looks exceptional, it combines so many things I love. The flavors of tomatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk, and my favorite spice smoked paprika are all keepers in my book. So excited to try this out!

  13. Liese
    01.16.2014

    I’ll be trying this out but with a careful eye to BPA in canned foods. AFAIK Muir Glen is the only company that doesn’t have BPA lining in their cans. I just made up a batch of dried garbanzo beans, what isn’t used will go in the freezer for the next batch! And for coconut milk, there is a powder available in my oriental market.

  14. Lee
    01.16.2014

    Delicious! Can you tell me where the beautiful spoon in the picture is from?

  15. Ritu
    01.16.2014

    Omg…this is simmering away on the stove. The house smells divine and it tastes delicious!! Your recipe looked so good, but I can never follow a recipe exactly (gotta add extra hidden veggies and use up what I have in the fridge, right?!). I made a few changes: I added about 3/4 of a cup of chopped carrots and 1/4 cup chopped zuchinni, I added 1/2 cup more coconut milk, I used Italian seasoning in place of thyme, I added a splash of soy sauce, and since I had already used some of my last can of tomatoes, I added in about a T of tomato paste.
    Yum!

    • jeanine
      01.16.2014

      Hi Ritu, so glad you like it (so far)!

      A+ for some tasty-sounding adaptations (I can’t follow recipes exactly either!)

  16. Susana from tertuliadasusy.blogspot.pt
    01.16.2014

    Maravilhoso, simplesmente maravilhoso!
    Bjs

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.