Homemade Greek Lemon Chickpea Soup

When the weather turns chilly and you need something warm and comforting that won’t leave you feeling heavy, finding the right soup can be tricky. You want something that’s hearty enough to be satisfying but still feels light and fresh, especially when you’re trying to eat a bit healthier during the week.

That’s exactly why this Greek lemon chickpea soup has become one of my favorite recipes. It’s packed with protein and vegetables, takes less than an hour to make, and has this bright, tangy flavor from the lemon that makes it feel totally different from your typical winter soups.

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What Kind of Chickpeas Should I Use?

For this Greek lemon soup, canned chickpeas are your best bet since they’re already cooked and ready to go. You can use any brand you find at the store, but I like to rinse them well under cold water to get rid of that slightly metallic canned taste and reduce the sodium. If you’re feeling ambitious and want to use dried chickpeas, you’ll need to soak them overnight and cook them until tender before adding them to the soup, which adds quite a bit of time to the recipe. Either way, make sure your chickpeas are soft and fully cooked so they blend nicely with all those lemony flavors.

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Options for Substitutions

This soup is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so feel free to work with what you have:

• Orzo: You can swap orzo with other small pasta shapes like ditalini, acini de pepe, or even broken spaghetti. Rice also works well – just use about the same amount and adjust cooking time as needed.
• Chickpeas: Cannellini beans or great northern beans make a good substitute if you’re out of chickpeas. They’ll give you a similar creamy texture.
• Kale: Spinach, Swiss chard, or escarole all work nicely here. If using spinach, add it at the very end since it wilts much faster than kale.
• Fresh dill: If you don’t have fresh dill, use about 2 teaspoons of dried dill instead. You can also try fresh parsley for a different but still fresh flavor.
• Eggs and egg yolks: The eggs create the traditional Greek avgolemono (egg-lemon) texture, and they’re really what makes this soup special. I wouldn’t recommend skipping them, but if you need to, the soup will still taste good – just without that signature creamy finish.
• Vegetable broth: Chicken broth works perfectly fine if that’s what you have on hand.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake you can make with this soup is adding the egg mixture too quickly or when the heat is too high, which will scramble your eggs instead of creating that silky, creamy texture – keep the heat on low and add the tempered eggs in a slow, steady stream while stirring constantly.

Another common error is skipping the tempering step altogether (where you slowly add hot broth to the eggs), as pouring cold eggs directly into hot soup will definitely give you scrambled eggs floating around.

Don’t overcook the orzo since it will continue to soften as it sits in the hot broth, so pull it off the heat when it’s just barely tender, and if you’re making this ahead, consider cooking the orzo separately and adding it when serving to prevent it from soaking up all your broth.

Finally, add the kale at the end rather than with the other vegetables – this keeps it from turning into mush and gives you a better color and texture in the finished soup.

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What to Serve With Greek Lemon Chickpea Soup?

This soup is pretty hearty on its own since it’s loaded with chickpeas and orzo, but I love serving it with warm pita bread or crusty bread for dipping. A simple Greek salad on the side with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and feta cheese makes it feel like a complete meal. If you want to add some protein, grilled chicken or lamb skewers work really well alongside this soup. For a lighter option, you could also serve it with some hummus and veggies or a plate of olives and feta cheese for a full Mediterranean spread.

Storage Instructions

Store: This soup keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Just know that the orzo will soak up some of the broth as it sits, so you might want to add a splash of water or broth when reheating to loosen it up.

Freeze: You can freeze this soup, but I’d recommend leaving out the orzo if you’re planning to freeze it. The pasta doesn’t hold up as well after freezing. Store it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months, then cook fresh orzo when you’re ready to eat it.

Reheat: Warm it gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. If you’re using the microwave, heat it in 1-minute intervals and stir between each one. Add a bit of extra broth or water if it’s gotten too thick, and taste to see if it needs more lemon juice to brighten it back up.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1600-1800
• Protein: 60-70 g
• Fat: 45-55 g
• Carbohydrates: 250-270 g

Ingredients

For the soup base:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1.75 cups onion (small diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 cup carrots (cut into 1/2-inch half-moons)
• 0.75 cup celery
• 2 strips lemon peel
• 5 garlic cloves
• 64 oz vegetable broth (I prefer using Better Than Bouillon for a richer base)
• 2 cans chickpeas (I use Goya brand for the best firm texture)
• 0.75 cup orzo
• 1.25 tsp salt
• 1.25 tsp pepper
• 1.5 tsp oregano
• 3 handfuls kale (stems removed and leaves torn into 1-inch bite-sized pieces)
• 3 tbsp dill
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

For the egg-lemon mixture:

• 2 eggs (room temperature, about 70°F, to prevent curdling when tempered)
• 2 egg yolks
• 0.33 cup lemon juice

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Sauté Aromatics

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1.75 cups onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, cut into half-moons
• 0.75 cup celery, diced
• 2 strips lemon peel
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 handfuls kale, stems removed and torn
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces, cut carrots into 1/2-inch half-moons, dice the celery, mince the garlic cloves, remove stems from kale and tear leaves into 1-inch pieces, and chop the fresh parsley.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and lemon peel strips, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to caramelize slightly.

This builds a flavorful foundation for the soup.

Step 2: Build the Broth Base

• minced garlic from Step 1
• 64 oz vegetable broth
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained
• 0.75 cup orzo
• 1.25 tsp salt
• 1.25 tsp pepper
• 1.5 tsp oregano

Add the minced garlic to the softened vegetables and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Pour in the 64 ounces of vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the drained chickpeas, orzo pasta, salt, pepper, and oregano, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes until the orzo is tender and the flavors have melded together.

Step 3: Prepare the Lemon-Egg Mixture

• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 egg yolks
• 0.33 cup lemon juice

While the orzo cooks, combine the 2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, and 0.33 cup lemon juice in a bowl and whisk together until smooth.

I recommend using room temperature eggs (about 70°F) and whisking them well—this prevents the eggs from curdling when you temper them with the hot broth.

Step 4: Temper the Eggs and Create the Lemony Broth

• lemon-egg mixture from Step 3
• hot broth from the pot

Once the orzo is cooked, reduce the heat to low.

Carefully ladle about 3/4 cup of the hot broth from the pot into a measuring cup.

Slowly pour this hot broth into the lemon-egg mixture while whisking constantly—this gradual tempering allows the eggs to warm gently without scrambling.

Once combined, slowly pour the entire egg mixture back into the pot while stirring gently to distribute it evenly throughout the soup.

The soup will develop a creamy, tangy character from the eggs and lemon.

Step 5: Add Greens and Fresh Herbs

• torn kale from Step 1
• 3 tbsp fresh dill
• lemon peels

Add the torn kale to the soup and cook for 5 minutes over low heat until the leaves are tender and the greens have wilted.

Remove the lemon peel strips from the pot, then stir in the 3 tablespoons of fresh dill.

Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

The dill adds a bright, fresh finish that’s essential to the Greek character of this dish.

Step 6: Serve and Garnish

• chopped fresh parsley from Step 1

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the fresh chopped parsley from Step 1.

Serve immediately while the soup is hot, and enjoy the vibrant Greek flavors of lemon, herbs, and tender chickpeas.

Homemade Greek Lemon Chickpea Soup

Delicious Homemade Greek Lemon Chickpea Soup recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 1700 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the soup base::

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1.75 cups onion (small diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 cup carrots (cut into 1/2-inch half-moons)
• 0.75 cup celery
• 2 strips lemon peel
• 5 garlic cloves
• 64 oz vegetable broth (I prefer using Better Than Bouillon for a richer base)
• 2 cans chickpeas (I use Goya brand for the best firm texture)
• 0.75 cup orzo
• 1.25 tsp salt
• 1.25 tsp pepper
• 1.5 tsp oregano
• 3 handfuls kale (stems removed and leaves torn into 1-inch bite-sized pieces)
• 3 tbsp dill
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

For the egg-lemon mixture::

• 2 eggs (room temperature, about 70°F, to prevent curdling when tempered)
• 2 egg yolks
• 0.33 cup lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces, cut carrots into 1/2-inch half-moons, dice the celery, mince the garlic cloves, remove stems from kale and tear leaves into 1-inch pieces, and chop the fresh parsley. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and lemon peel strips, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to caramelize slightly. This builds a flavorful foundation for the soup.
• Add the minced garlic to the softened vegetables and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the 64 ounces of vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the drained chickpeas, orzo pasta, salt, pepper, and oregano, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes until the orzo is tender and the flavors have melded together.
• While the orzo cooks, combine the 2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, and 0.33 cup lemon juice in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. I recommend using room temperature eggs (about 70°F) and whisking them well—this prevents the eggs from curdling when you temper them with the hot broth.
• Once the orzo is cooked, reduce the heat to low. Carefully ladle about 3/4 cup of the hot broth from the pot into a measuring cup. Slowly pour this hot broth into the lemon-egg mixture while whisking constantly—this gradual tempering allows the eggs to warm gently without scrambling. Once combined, slowly pour the entire egg mixture back into the pot while stirring gently to distribute it evenly throughout the soup. The soup will develop a creamy, tangy character from the eggs and lemon.
• Add the torn kale to the soup and cook for 5 minutes over low heat until the leaves are tender and the greens have wilted. Remove the lemon peel strips from the pot, then stir in the 3 tablespoons of fresh dill. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. The dill adds a bright, fresh finish that's essential to the Greek character of this dish.
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the fresh chopped parsley from Step 1. Serve immediately while the soup is hot, and enjoy the vibrant Greek flavors of lemon, herbs, and tender chickpeas.