Fragrant Chicken Soup with Chickpeas and Vegetables Recipe (2024)

I didn't chop the chicken. I simply removed the skin and fat. I did do a dry rub into the meat before cooking. After the thighs were cooked, I removed the bones.
I added a step I learned from a Nigerian friend. I poured about a 1/2 cup of the chick peas, and about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of the soup - including one chicken thigh - into a blender. I pureed the mixture and added it back to the soup. The puree adds thickness and flavor.

Melissa Clark's mistake turned in to a wonderful, full flavored recipe for the rest of us. I have made this soup over the years for our family, for friends convalescing from illness, to offer to those mourning a loss. Everyone always asks for the recipe.
It is healthy...relatively low calorie, gluten free, high fiber, lower carbs. Enjoy!

This is a favorite recipe of mine- have been making it for years. I started out following it to a "T", and it is wonderful. The recipe is very flexible. I have added at various times: cauliflower, red peppers, diced anchovy (mashed in with the spices), parsnips, red lentils, spinach, kale. You get the idea. The base spices and broth are what pull it together to make a delicious soup/stew.

Wonderful. Parsnip was an excellent addition.,,adding a little sweetness (eliminating need for honey as some have suggested). A dollop of sour cream and a swirl of harrissa oil were a nice finish.

Wow this soup base is fantastic. Honestly I don’t even think this needs the chicken. Boost other veggies, change to veggie stock, and add another bean and it would still taste fantastic.

Delicious, easy, healthy....this one goes into the regular rotation. Only change I made was to use bone-in thighs (pulled the skin off) just because I think they have a better texture. After cooking them in the broth, I pulled them out, tore off the meat, and added it to the finished soup. Per suggestion of others here, I also added a little honey, and I served the dish with harissa. Pita or nan is a nice accompaniment. Did not need the extra broth some mentioned. Perfect as written.

Delicious. Followed to the letter. The sweet potato is a very sweet note, and I would consider substituting with carrots next time.

I have made this soup many times over many years. I’m not a fan of turnip so I either leave it out or use a parsnip. My decision is always to add more broth or water at the end. I like the liquid so there is enough to slurp. I have used less chicken without any significant notice. Delicious...don’t forget the lemon that make it great.

I added a couple garlic cloves and would add a couple more next time. I also did not chop the chicken up; might try that next time too.

Had half a butternut squash so peeled, diced and used that. Otherwise made exactly as directed and it was superb. Complex spicing, where the sweetness of the squash was offset with spice and cayenne -- I added an extra pinch!

This soup is full of hearty vegetables with a delicious broth and is easily re-heatable. Some of my personal adjustments: I used carrots instead of turnips, I browned the chicken thigh pieces before adding them to the soup, I used a Berbere spice mix instead of just cayenne, I added extra lemon juice, and I served alongside some crusty sourdough. I'm placing this recipe in my normal rotation.

Great recipe! I used an 8 QT enameled cast iron pot and should have turned the heat down from instructions. Minor scorching of the spices did not ruin this dish. I used less chicken and was tempted to add more broth to enjoy in the soup. The sweet potatoes and turnip are a nice blend. Flavorful and aromatic. Will be a soup staple.

JS
She accidentally used a large dollop of chili paste in the original recipe. (see hyperlink to the NYT article)

@Susan: the boyfriend doesn't like sweet potatoes either, but I left it in anyway. He actually said he really liked it, but he thought it was butternut squash. When I pointed out his error, he was disgruntled, but didn't feel horribly betrayed :)

Wow! This is a great soup. I happened upon it when I was looking up the recipe (for the nth time) to the red lentil soup with lemon (also good) and am feeling grateful now that I have eaten two bowls of it. This will go into my regular line-up for sure.

Made for the first time and followed it exactly. The broth is so rich and satisfying. The vegetables came out delicately soft and delicious. As others have said, this soup (it strikes me as more of a stew) seems extremely adaptable. I will probably make it various ways, over and over.

Added a handful of shredded basil, a handful of grape tomatoes, and an about 8 finely diced garlic cloves. Was more liberal in seasoning adding a teaspoon when it called for 3/4 and a 1/2 when it called for a quarter. Also, cut up a Costco rotisserie chicken and added frozen root vegetable, also from Costco, instead of fresh vegetables called for by the receipts. Altogether, it was definitely on point and a great midweek hustle meal.

I followed the recipe but doubled up on all the fragrant herbs/spices, and carrots instead of turnip, I also added a few crushed red pepper flakes because my family likes a tiny kick. overall it is a pretty good soup, and healthy. Not doing cartwheels, but it was nice to incorporate garbanzo and sweet potatoes into a comforting soup.

This soup was delicious. I replaced the sweet potato with carrots, and ended up probably doubling the spice content broth. I seasoned the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and browned them in a cast iron, too. Also added a small amount of elbow noodles just for funsies.For the toppings, I put a dollop of labneh which added a really nice creaminess the more it melted into the soup. Gave it a chili vibe/sour cream vibe that I love. Also grated a little parm and more black pepper. Yum :)

This is wonderful. I made a couple of substitutions to avoid going to store. I used a carrot instead of the turnip and used dried mint in place of cilantro. Finally, I added a dollop of white miso. Excellent!

Delicious! I made this as written. My only addition was that I had an open can of coconut milk in the fridge, so I added a splash to my bowl. So good!!

This is an amazing soup-so glad I came across it. I followed the directions but made a couple of substitutions to avoid a trip to the store. And added some white miso, just to try. Subbed a carrot for the turnips, and mint for cilantro. I love the rich flavor and color. This will become part of the rotation.

Delicious! I used carrots and white sweet potato, didn’t have turnips on hand. The cilantro is really special here.

I was uncertain whether the soup would end up being too sweet. As a preemptive solution, I made the citrus rice that accompanies the LAMB TAGINE WITH GREEN OLIVES recipe by Andrew Carmellini and Amanda Hesser. It is quick and delicious, and the spice profile of the two recipes is remarkably similar. I put a half cup of the rice in the bottom of each bowl before ladling the soup on top. It was great! I highly recommend it!

Used radishes instead of turnipParsley instead of cilantro

The servings-math confuses me.. that much chicken would feed 7. A can of beans would feed 3. So without the chicken broth, 10 servings. Where does 6-8 come from?

Forgot to say it was delicious! A bit too sweet- my fault since I didn’t have a turnip and used a carrot.

Not great. Definitely needed the lemon

Love this recipe exactly as written. The sweet potato adds enough sweetness. Perfect on a cold night! And as an added plus, it freezes very well.

This soup recipe was outstanding. I added a second can of chickpeas to stretch the soup to accommodate some last minute guests. The pot was empty by the end of the evening.