We’ve fallen in love with a new soup! Actually, it’s an old classic that I’ve turned into a healthy, plant-based family favorite, Chickpea and Rice Soup. Plus, I’m giving you instructions for both the stove top and Instant Pot versions.
See updated versions below! Now Printable!
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You know I love my Chickpea Noodle Soup. I didn’t think life could get much better than that until I tried Chickpea and Rice Soup.
I really wanted to make a soup that I could make in the Instant Pot. I don’t make noodles in the Instant Pot because we usually use gluten-free noodles and they are more temperamental that their wheat counter parts.
The first time I made this soup, I did a stove top version to try to get all the proportions correct. Then I started working on my Instant Pot version. I made this soup so many times we grew a little sick of it. Not because of the taste but because it was the only thing I ate for days. Yes, days!
Usually when I make something with chickpeas I’ll use canned because chickpeas have such a long cooking time. I really wanted to get away from using canned though so I ordered some from Amazon. If you don’t have a Prime membership you are missing out! Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial
I found Palouse Brand and was intrigued. Not only are they non-GMO but they give you a code so you can track your chickpeas to see the field they were grown in. Also, they are not irradiated, sounds strange to have to say but a lot of companies expose food to radiation for sterilization. Maybe that is why these seem to taste so much better than other chickpeas I’ve had.
Veggie Broth
Whichever process you follow to make this soup, Stove Top or Instant Pot, I highly recommend you use my Veggie Broth Mix. It will make the best soup. If you use my Veggie Broth Mix you won’t need to use the seasonings mentioned in the recipe, just use salt with the mix.
If you just can’t bring yourself to make my mix then you can use your favorite pre-made broth instead of water or use the seasonings I recommend. Your call! I like to make recipes that don’t have to be 100% exact.
Make sure you use brown rice when you make this. If you get a quick cooking rice this recipe won’t work. You need a rice that can stand up to a long cooking time in the Instant Pot with the chickpeas. If you only have a fast cooking rice, I recommend using the stove top version and adapting the recipe as needed.
Stove Top version (with canned chickpeas)
I know some of you will want to make this soup right away before you have a chance to order your Palouse Brand chickpeas from Amazon. You probably have all the ingredients already since they are regular pantry staples.
When I’m cooking recipes on the stove I like to start with my onion. I’ll add my diced onion to the pan and allow it to begin cooking, add a little water if needed when it starts to stick. Normally, I’d add my veggies next but since I cook with brown rice it takes a long time to cook on the stove. Add your brown rice and water and seasonings (or broth mix). Allow the rice to cook for 15 minutes. Then add the rest of your veggies. Cook the soup for another 30 minutes. Last, add your canned, drained and rinsed chickpeas. Your rice and veggies should be done. Add salt to taste.
If you are using brown rice, you will need to allow about 45 minutes for it to cook. Since this recipe uses canned chickpeas, you can use a quick cooking rice to cut the cooking time in half.Chickpea Rice Soup (Stove Top Version)
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Instant Pot version (with unsoaked chickpeas)
Even though this soup is easy, it’s one of the longest cooking things I’ve made in the Instant Pot. This recipe takes at least 20 minutes to come to pressure the first time. It isn’t a fast soup.
I’ve made this in the Instant Pot three ways. One is to cook everything at the same time even though the veggies get very soft. It’s easy because you add all the ingredients and cook on manual for 40 minutes with a natural pressure release. Yes, it’s that easy.
The second way is to cook the chickpeas and rice together, then add the veggies for a few more minutes. My husband likes it all cooked together because he prefers the veggies super soft. I like my veggies a little more firm but it requires a two step cooking process.
To make the two step cooking process work you’ll add dry chickpeas and rice to your Instant Pot with 4 cups of water. Cook on manual for 35 minutes. Once this is done, turn it off and allow the pressure to come down naturally for at least 10 minutes. Then carefully let out the steam.
Add the rest of the ingredients (veggies, spices unless using my veggie broth mix, and water), and give it a good stir so that nothing is stuck to the bottom. Cook on manual for 5 minutes then allow the pressure to come down naturally again.
It’s important to note that a lot of people have trouble getting their Instant Pots to come back up to pressure a second time after cooking something. If you run into this problem you can try to wash your lid and sealing ring (but be careful, it will be hot).
Instant Pot Chickpea and Rice Soup
This version is for using unsoaked chickpeas in the Instant Pot. See other cooking versions above.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry chickpeas
- 1 cup brown rice
- 4 cups water (for step 1)
- 2 cups sliced carrots
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 4 cups water (for step 2)
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Add rice, chickpeas and 4 cups of water to your Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and vent.
- Press Manual (Pressure Cook on newer Instant Pot's) and use the arrows to go up to 35 minutes.
- Once done cooking, allow the IP to naturally release the pressure for at least 10 minutes. Then carefully open the lid.
- Add the rest of the veggies, spices (or Veggie Broth Mix mentioned above) and 4 more cups of water.
- Stir everything well and make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
- Close the lid and vent.
- Press Manual (Pressure Cook) and use arrows to go down to 5 minutes.
- Once done, allow pressure to release manually at least 10 minutes.
Notes
This recipe requires multiple cooking steps. You can wait longer time between each step. The veggies doesn't require as much time to cook. The Chickpeas and rice need a long cooking time.
Instant Pot version (with Soaked Chickpeas)
This is the third way I’ve made Chickpea and Rice Soup and my favorite! It does require a little preplanning because you have to soak the chickpeas over night.
First, rinse off one cup of chickpeas and put them in a pot or large bowl with 4 cups of water. Then, the next morning rinse your soaked chickpeas in clean water and put them in your Instant Pot with your rice, veggies, spices and 8 cups of water. Give it a stir and press manual. Move the arrows to go down to 23 minutes. Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally, then scoop and enjoy!
Chickpea and Rice Soup
This plant-based soup is also gluten-free. It’s a great fall or winter soup and uses basic pantry and fridge staples that we almost always have on hand.
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