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 22 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

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. Liz
    01.20.2024

    This recipe has been in my regular rotation for 5+ years – it’s a winner with my family! I love to make grilled cheese sandwiches on crust sourdough bread to dip in the soup.

  2. Sam
    10.18.2023

    Such an excellent recipe. We loved it !

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.18.2023

      I’m so happy to hear!

      • Sarah
        11.18.2023

        I’ve had this recipe on repeat for the last few years after eating something similar in a cafe. It’s perfect for batch cooking and freezing. I add a little nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan. Thank you!

        • Jeanine Donofrio
          11.19.2023

          I’m so glad you’ve loved it!

  3. Rakka
    01.08.2023

    Can’t go wrong with this recipe and can alter it to use up leftovers from other recipes. Plan to make this again.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      01.13.2023

      Glad you enjoyed it!

  4. Amy
    09.08.2022

    This would be great to use the rest of the tomatoes in my garden!!!

  5. Jane
    02.01.2022

    Just enjoyed my second bowl of this soup (day 2)! I definitely echo your comment that it’s better the next day.

    Overall, just a nice, creamy soup with the added punch of protein from the chickpeas. I was pretty generous with the spices and the balsamic vinegar, and it turned out great! I roasted the leftover chickpeas in the oven until crispy and added them on top to serve. Thanks so much for this recipe!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.01.2022

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  6. Sara Hulse
    01.16.2022

    Hi! Can you use crushed instead of diced tomatoes? Does it make a difference? Thanks!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.16.2022

      you can! Shouldn’t make a difference since it’s blended anyway.

  7. Nicole
    10.02.2021

    I loved this soup! I have a tendency to get acid reflux and the amount of tomato was a little too much. Any suggestions for using less? Maybe substituting broth? Would love to make this a regular go to!!

  8. Siena Klein
    03.18.2021

    Very quick and good. I used tomato paste added sliced celery to cook w onions. Added very little water and didn’t puree. It was delicious. That balsamic is a great addition. Thank you.

  9. Donna
    01.24.2021

    This soup looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. I was wondering if you have a favorite brand of organic coconut milk?

  10. Grace
    03.02.2020

    This soup is delicious!! A winner among vegans and omnivores alike! You won’t be disappointed.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.03.2020

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  11. Christine
    09.16.2019

    Really tasty! Simple yet effortless and easy clean up (my kind of cooking!).

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.23.2019

      Hi Christine, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!

  12. Sue
    08.05.2019

    Delicious, nutritious and very easy to make

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.07.2019

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  13. Barb
    08.19.2018

    Found this earlier this month and have made it 3 times already using fresh tomatoes from the garden. Delicious.

  14. Emily
    11.01.2016

    This is fantastic. Even better the second and third day!

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.