Smoky Spanish chickpea soup, brimming with sultry roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes, is an Instant Pot vegan recipe sensation guaranteed to renew you with every warm and soulful spoonful.

The deep sultry flavors of roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes make this Spanish-style chickpea soup (garbanzo bean soup) savory and satisfying. And the best news? It's an easy cook in the Instant Pot. I'm also including stovetop instructions because no one should miss out on what's going to become one of your favorite soups.
Key Ingredients
Chickpeas – 2 cups of chickpeas or 3 cans if you are cooking on the stovetop. If you are using dried chickpeas, you’ll want to either soak them overnight or do an Instant Pot quick soak. Those instructions are coming, so read on.
Roasted red peppers – Because I can never find roasted red peppers that aren't swimming in oil, I prefer to roast them myself. It's too easy to pop 4 quartered, red bell peppers in the oven not to take this healthier, cheaper option.
If you use jarred red peppers, rinse them as thoroughly as possible if they are packed in oil. 2 12-ounce jars are approximately the equivalent of 4 red peppers.
Sundried tomatoes – Use dehydrated sundried tomatoes if you can. That handles the ‘packed in oil’ dilemma. These days, there are options for sundried or semi-dried tomatoes with no or minimal oil, so use these as an option if you can’t find the dehydrated kind.
Red onion – Red onions are sweeter and milder than yellow onions and complement the sweet peppers and tomatoes. You can, however, interchange them depending on what you have on hand.
Garlic – 5 cloves isn’t excessive unless you don’t have a garlic press. This is about 1 ½ tablespoon if you are using the pre-minced stuff.
Canned diced tomatoes – Grab a can of diced tomatoes packed in juice for the best flavor and texture. Fire-roasted tomatoes are even better if you have access to them. Crushed tomatoes are also a good option.
Smoked paprika – Spanish cooking uses a lot of smoked paprika. You can find it in heat ranges from hot to sweet. Either variety will yield a smoky flavor. Hot spicy-hot you like it is up to you. It's your soup, after all.
Crushed red chili – Crush red chili is yet another source of hot spicy flavor. If you use hot smoked paprika, you may want to adjust the amount (in my case up). Also, there'll be more chili flakes used in the almond topping.
Sherry vinegar – A sweeter vinegar, such as sherry, still gives you a sharp flavor but is slightly more toned down than apple cider vinegar. The latter is my recommendation as a substitute.
Almonds – The almond spice mix is entirely optional. But seriously, don't skip it! For best results, use raw, unsalted almonds.
Parsley – Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley is chopped finely with the almonds and red chili flakes to make the spice mix. If you aren’t using almonds, add chopped parsley. It adds a fresh, peppery flavor. And a bit of green is always welcome.
Pro Tips
Roasting the peppers. Preheat the oven to 4250 F. (2200 C.). Quarter the peppers, cleaning out the core and seeds. Place the red peppers with the skins up on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake the peppers for 20-25 minutes or until the skins start to brown and become wrinkly.
Soaking the chickpeas. In my experience, whether you use an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or make this soup on the stovetop, the best results begin with soaked chickpeas. There are several ways to accomplish this.
1. Soak them overnight. Add the chickpeas to a pot or bowl and cover them with three times the amount of water.
2. Quick soak. Add the chickpeas and twice the amount of water in a large pot. Boil the chickpeas for 2 minutes then, remove them from the heat and let them soak in the water for 2-4 hours.
3. Insta-soak – Add 2 cups of chickpeas plus 6 cups of water to the Instant Pot. Close the sealing valve and cook for 5 minutes on High Pressure. Let the steam naturally release for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Always rinse soaked chickpeas (and other beans) before cooking them. This reduces indigestion.
Heat the Instant Pot (or any pot) before adding the onions. If you are cooking without oil, a cold pan will cause onions (and other ingredients) to stick. So, when you select Sauté on the Instant Pot, allow it to heat up and beep at you. Then, add the onions.
Avoid 'food burning.'. Once you sauté the red onions, start the dance of adding and mixing the rest of the ingredients through the tomatoes. Once you add the tomatoes, be sure to use a wooden spoon or another non-scratch implement to clear the bottom of the Instant Pot. It's essential to avoid the IP thinking that the soup is burning once you begin the pressure-cooking process.
Give the bottom of the Instant Pot another sweep after adding the chickpeas and water. Then begin the pressure cooking process.
Stovetop Instructions
Using Dried Chickpeas. Follow the recipe instructions as written using a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Start with soaked chickpeas. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then lower the heat to a slow simmer. Cover the pot and cook the soup for 45 minutes or until the chickpeas are tender. You may need to add more water, so check the soup pot from time to time.
Using canned chickpeas. This is the quickest method yet. Follow the recipe until after you add the tomatoes. Add the entire contents of 3 cans of chickpeas plus 1 cup of water or broth. Allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes.
Serving Ideas
Our favorite topping for this soup is finely chopped almonds, parsley, and chili flakes, but it's also great with vegan parmesan. Bread and soup are faithful friends. And a flavorful side salad or a simple salad with a creamy dressing makes a satisfying meal.
Common Questions
Short answer – yes. Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same things. Generally, garbanzo bean is the Spanish name for what others call chickpea. The labels are interchangeable and reflective of regional languages. The legume is identical.
The difference between smoked and regular paprika is all about the flavor. All paprika use crushed and dried chilis. Smoked paprika is made from chilis that are smoke-dried. This is what accounts for the distinctive flavor.
Smoked paprika is best substituted by using chipotle chili powder because it is made from smoke-dried jalapenos. This preserves the earthy, smoky flavors. If you only have regular paprika available, consider adding a few drops of liquid smoke. A pinch of cumin will also provide more of an earthy flavor; however, it will lack the smokiness of the first two options.
More Soup Recipes to Love!
Smoky Spanish Chickpea Soup
Smoky Spanish chickpea soup is an Instant Pot vegan recipe sensation guaranteed to renew you with every healthy, warm, and soulful spoonful.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soups
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 cups of dried chickpeas (about 1 pound/453 grams) soaked
- 4 red bell peppers cored and quartered or 2 - 12-ounce jars of roasted red peppers.
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon of red chili flakes
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
- 1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups of water or vegetable broth
- Salt & pepper to taste
Almond-spice topping
- ⅓ cup of raw almonds
- ⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
Instructions
- Roast the peppers. Preheat the oven to 4250 F. (2000 C.). Place the cleaned and quartered red peppers with the skins up on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Roast the peppers for 20-25 minutes until the skins begin to brown.
- Dice the peppers. When the peppers are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool until you can handle them. Dice the peppers and set them aside.
- Quick-soak the chickpeas. Rinse the chickpeas and place them in the Instant Pot with 6 cups of water. Set the steam handle to Sealing, then set the pot to High Pressure for 5 minutes. When the cooking is finished, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Sauté the ingredients. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and allow it to heat. After it beeps, add the red onions. Stir the onions frequently and cook them for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, smoked paprika, chili flakes, red peppers, sundried tomatoes, sherry vinegar, and diced tomatoes.
- Stir the ingredients. Stir all the ingredients and use a wooden spoon or a non-scratch utensil to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot. Food stuck to the bottom can trigger a food-burning warning.
- Finish the soup. Add the chickpeas and 6 cups of water or vegetable broth. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the steam handle to Sealing. Set the Instant Pot on High Pressure for 20 minutes. Once the Instant Pot has stopped cooking, allow the steam to naturally release for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the lid and stir the soup.
- Make the almond-spice topping. Gather the almonds, parsley, and red chili flakes on a cutting board. Bunch the ingredients together and carefully chop them until the parsley and almonds are finely chopped.
- Stir, taste, and adjust. Once the soup is done, stir it and taste it. Add salt and pepper and adjust the other spices if desired.
Notes
- This recipe is made with a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- The prep time includes roasting the red peppers and quick soaking the chickpeas. I have also added 15 minutes of cooking time for the Instant Pot to begin pressure cooking.
- Dry chickpeas can also be soaked in water overnight. Likewise, soak chickpeas by boiling them in water for 2 minutes and letting them sit (in the water) for 2-4 hours.
- To make this recipe on the stovetop, use a large Dutch oven and follow the instructions above. After adding the chickpeas and water, bring the pot to a boil, then lower it to a slow simmer. Cook the soup until the chickpeas are tender (about 45 minutes).
- If you want to use canned chickpeas, cook the soup on the stovetop and eliminate the water. Use 3 cans of chickpeas plus the liquid from the can (aquafaba). Cook the soup for 15 minutes or until it starts to thicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 328
- Sugar: 15.3 g
- Sodium: 495.6 mg
- Fat: 7.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.4 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: chickpea soup, garbanzo bean soup, Instant Pot, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, plant-based, healthy
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