Instant Pot Chickpea Soup

Overhead close up of bowl of soup topped with pesto.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 5

Time for pressure to build and release: 20

Total Time: 45

Servings: people

Calories: 217kcal

Author: Platings and Pairings

This Instant Pot Chickpea Soup with Pesto is made with chickpeas and tomatoes. It's vegetarian friendly, super delicious and cooks up quick in your pressure cooker.

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Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

Soup:

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
1 14-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pesto:

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional if needed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tablespoon pine nuts toasted

Instructions

Soup

Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and celery. Keep stirring and cook about 5 more minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and seal the lid - turn the vent to sealing. Hit CANCEL then press the MANUAL (high pressure) button and set the timer to 5 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for Instant Pot to come to full pressure, then the display will show a countdown timer. When timer beeps, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick pressure release.
While the soup is cooking, prepare the pesto.

Pesto

Place the garlic and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute.
When the soup is finished, remove the bay leaves. Taste and season with pepper and more salt if needed.
Serve in individual bowls topped with pesto.

Video

Notes

The pesto can be made in advance. Store it in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days or the freezer for a month.

Stove top directions

To make this soup on the stove, simply saute the onion, garlic, carrots & celery in a large pot or dutch oven on the stove.
Then, ad the tomatoes, chickpeas, stock, bay leaves and salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 15 minutes while you prepare the pesto.
Enjoy!

Variations

Stir in some baby spinach leaves when the soup is finished to add even more nutrition.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice to give your soup a zesty tang.
If you have a leftover ham bone, you can add it to the instant pot before pressure cooking. It will add great flavor to your soup!

How to store & reheat

You can store the leftover soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s even better the next day! Reheat in the microwave or on the stove.

Nutrition