Description
This hearty Moroccan Chickpea Soup is a flavorful, spiced dish made using an Instant Pot for quick and easy pressure cooking. Packed with chickpeas, fire-roasted tomatoes, and aromatic spices like cinnamon, cumin, and paprika, it delivers a perfect balance of warmth and zest. Finished with fresh spinach, lemon juice, and a touch of honey, this comforting soup is ideal for a healthy meal served with bread, couscous, or quinoa.
Ingredients
Scale
Pressure Cook Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped (1 medium)
- 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 cup carrot, chopped (2 carrots)
- 1 cup celery, chopped (2 ribs)
- 31 ounces cooked chickpeas (2 cans), drained and rinsed
- 14.5 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes (1 can) or 4 medium ripe Roma tomatoes, de-seeded and coarsely pureed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes (optional, but recommended)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (reduce to ¼ teaspoon for milder taste)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika (sweet, not smoked)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (optional but recommended, e.g., sambal olek, adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper or ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 3-4 cups vegetable broth or water
After Pressure Cooking Ingredients
- 2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients and Add to Instant Pot: Turn on the Instant Pot and add all ingredients listed under the ‘Pressure Cook Ingredients’ section, including the vegetable stock or water. Stir well to combine all flavors.
- Pressure Cook the Soup: Close the Instant Pot lid, ensuring the vent is in the sealing position. Set the Instant Pot to Manual/Pressure Cook mode for 8 minutes at high pressure.
- Natural Pressure Release: When cooking time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Then carefully switch the vent to release any remaining pressure manually.
- Mash Chickpeas to Thicken: Once the pin drops and the lid is safe to open, open it. Using a potato masher, gently mash some of the chickpeas to create a thicker consistency in the soup.
- Add Fresh Ingredients: Stir in the chopped baby spinach, lemon juice, and honey (if using). Mix thoroughly.
- Let the Soup Rest: Allow the soup to sit for 5 minutes. During this time, the spinach will wilt and the soup will thicken further.
- Serve: Enjoy the soup as is or serve with toasted baguette slices, couscous, or quinoa for a gluten-free option.
Notes
- This recipe has been tested with 3qt and 6qt Instant Pots and can be easily doubled in 6qt or 8qt models without changing cooking time. Avoid doubling in 3qt Instant Pot due to capacity.
- If using dried chickpeas soaked overnight (minimum 8 hours), increase pressure cooking time to 45 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 15-minute natural release.
- For unsoaked dried chickpeas, rinse and drain, then pressure cook for 60 minutes at high pressure with a 15-minute natural release.
- Feel free to customize by adding other vegetables like diced sweet potato or kale.
- Serve with toasted baguette or gluten-free options like couscous or quinoa.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
