Nothing says Fall like a big bowl of steaming carbs. Comfort food is, after all, just another name for carbs. And a chilly Fall evening is just an invitation for comfort food. And who’s complaining? Not me! This Pasta and Chickpea soup, a take on the Italian classic, is great for many reasons: it’s easy, it’s one-pot, it’s mostly staple ingredients, and it’s comforting. I don’t know about you, but I need comfort.
This vegetarian stew is ready in just about 20 minutes. There’s zero chopping and prep, just a series of throwing ingredients into a pot one after another. The instructions are minimal and so are the risks, the reward is high and so is the room for error. A pot of soup is a very forgiving meal, the stakes are embarrassingly low. How wonderful is that for a weeknight dinner!
Because we’re using pesto as the base, there’s no need for olive oil. Think of it as an infused olive oil and if you don’t have sun-dried tomato pesto, feel free to use any red pesto you can find or just good old olive oil.
Despite the lack of animal protein, this soup is quite rich and flavorful. The parmesan is arguably optional, but if you’re considering skipping it, I would reconsider it. It’s the perfect finish for this hearty soup. In fact, if you happen to have any parmesan rinds lying around, I’d encourage you to drop one in the broth. It’s all about building layers of flavor!
If you make this Pasta and Chickpea Soup, please let me know in the comments!
Pasta and Chickpea Soup
4
servings5
minutes20
minutesIngredients
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
28oz canned plum tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cups orecchiette
2 cups spinach
1 lemon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
salt and black pepper
Directions
Heat the pesto in a large saucepan over medium. Add the canned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer.
Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, crush the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Add sugar, season with salt and pepper.
Stir in chickpeas and pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking, until pasta is al dente, 12 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the spinach.
Squeeze in lemon juice to taste. Top with grated parmesan and serve.
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