This satisfying, body-warming antioxidant-rich chickpea soup with nutty wheat berries and warming spices is a great immune booster for the cold winter months. A delicious and hearty tomato-based soup.

Easy to make, this soup is prepared with simple ingredients found on hand in most kitchens and spice cabinets.  And best yet, the delicious combination of superfoods like chickpeas, lemon, tomato, and turmeric make it a healthy head-to-head contender with chicken soup. It will quickly become a favorite in your home, and it won’t be long before your family asks, “Chicken who?”

About chickpeas

As the world’s third-largest grown legume crop, chickpeas are affordable and easy to grow. They even grow in difficult and arid climates.  Due to its extraordinarily high level of protein, and ease in farming, the chickpea has earned a starring role in international aid projects to end hunger in the Sub-Sahara.

Tracing its roots back to the ancient Middle East, the chickpea (also known as the garbanzo bean or ceci bean) can also be found throughout the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Europe. It has given rise to rich and sustaining foods like hummus, falafel, Italian soups and pasta, Ethiopian stews, and Indian curries like Chana Masala.

Chickpea's Nutritional Benefits

What gives our Wheat Berry and Chickpea Soup such a potent punch against cold and flu symptoms is its super immune-boosting properties.  The chickpea’s high levels of folate, a whopping 71% of the recommended daily allowance in just one cup! They regulate mood, appetite, and sleep by maintaining important levels of amino acids in the body. High levels of the antioxidant mineral manganese also help keep metabolism regulated so that you’ll feel full and less hungry.

For some extra sweetness and increased Vitamin C, add a handful of cubed butternut squash or sweet potato to the soup with the other ingredients.

Other Healthy Soup Recipes You May Like

• Moroccan Harira Soup
• Quinoa and Kale Soup
• The Best Vegetable Soup
• Immune Booster Vegan Ramen Bowl
• Coconut Carrot Ginger Soup
• Zucchini Sweet Potato Soup

Did you like our wheat berry and chickpea soup?  

If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.

Chickpea Soup with Wheat Berries

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★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews

• Author: Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
• Yield: 10 cups 1x
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Get warm with this satisfying antioxidant-rich Chickpea Soup with nutty wheat berries and warm spices. A hearty tomato-based soup.

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Ingredients

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• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight with 4 cups of water and 2 tsp baking soda)
• ½ cup wheat berries (soaked overnight together with the chickpeas)
• 7 cups water
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1-28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 ½ tsp sea salt 
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2tsp cumin
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp dry thyme
• ⅛-¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¾ cup fresh chopped cilantro (you may reserve some fresh cilantro as a garnish to add before serving)

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Instructions

1. Remember to soak the chickpeas and wheat berries overnight.  Place them together in a bowl with 4 cups of water and 2 teaspoon baking soda. See Note 1.
2.  Rinse soaked chickpeas and wheat berries really well and drain them.
3. In a medium soup pot heat, olive oil add onions and garlic. Sauté on medium heat 5-7 minutes or until translucent.
4. Add drained chickpeas, wheat berries, and 4 cups of water and bring to a soft boil for 40 minutes or until the chickpeas are soft.
5. Add another 3 cups of water and the rest of the ingredients except for the lemon and cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 90 minutes.
6. Remove bay leaves. Add the lemon and fresh cilantro, mix well and turn off the heat.
7. Add fresh cilantro as a garnish right before serving the soup (optional)

Notes

1. If you forgot to soak the chickpeas and the wheat berries, use canned chickpeas and barley or farro instead of the wheat berries. Add them to the soup, skip step 4 and continue to step 5.
2. We tried making this recipe in the instant pot and the soup lost its flavor and the spices lost their flavor.  We recommend making this recipe on the stove, in an instantpot. 
3. NOTE: Overnight soaking is NOT included in the prep time

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Soaking time: overnight
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: soup
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 159
• Sugar: 6.2
• Sodium: 458
• Fat: 4.5
• Saturated Fat: 0.6
• Unsaturated Fat: 3.2
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 25
• Fiber: 5.7
• Protein: 6.5
• Cholesterol: 0

Other Soup Recipes You May Like

PEANUT SOUP WITH SWEET POTATOES AND SPINACH

IMMUNE BOOSTER VEGAN RAMEN SOUP

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP