Marry Me Chickpea Soup (Dairy-Free)

Creamy, cozy one-pot chickpea and gnocchi soup with dairy-free cashew cream, bright herbs, and lemon—simple steps, big flavor, perfect for weeknights and meal prep.

Author Sarah Cobacho (plantbaes.com)

PREP TIME15

COOK TIME34

Soaking cashews (optional)20

TOTAL TIME49

Servings 4

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian-Inspired, Mediterranean-Inspired

Keyword basil, carrot, cashew cream, cashews, chickpeas, creamy chickpea soup, dairy-free soup, garlic, gnocchi soup, high-protein soup, lemon, nutritional yeast, one-pot dinner, onions, parsley, pasta, red bell pepper (capsicum), soy milk, spinach, tomato, tomato and herb soup, weeknight dinner

Ingredients

Cashew cream

⅓ cup cashews
¾ cup dairy-free milk I use soy
¼ cup nutritional yeast

Soup

1½ tbsp olive oil or water fry
2 yellow onions finely diced
2 carrots diced
1 red bell pepper diced
3 oz sun-dried tomatoes sliced
6 cloves garlic minced
⅓ cup tomato paste
3 cups chickpeas cooked
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
9 oz gnocchi
¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
½ cup fresh basil finely chopped
3 cups baby spinach
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Spices

1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp chili flakes
½ tsp sea salt flakes more to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the cream: Soak the cashews in boiling water for 20 minutes (you can skip this step if using a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix). In a small blender, combine the cashews, milk, and nutritional yeast. Blend until perfectly smooth, then set aside.
Make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the carrots, bell pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried thyme, chili flakes, salt, black pepper, and tomato paste. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the chickpeas and vegetable broth. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the gnocchi and cook for 2 minutes, or until tender.
Stir in the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the parsley, basil, spinach, and lemon juice. Stir until the spinach is just wilted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.

Video

Notes

Gluten-free option: Use GF gnocchi or swap for potatoes. If using potatoes, dice them into small cubes and add them at step 3 with the carrots. Make sure they’re cooked through before serving—the fork should slide in easily and the potato should just start to break apart.

Salt: The saltiness will depend a lot on the broth you use. I recommend going for a low-sodium option and starting with just 1/2 tsp of sea salt flakes. You can always add more later.

Oil-free option: water fry the onions, and use dry-packed sun dried tomatoes

Nutritional Information - Per Serving