This Chickpea and Lemon Soup is super fresh and zingy. A great lunch for only 180 cals per portion and its gluten free and Vegan too.
I think it's fair to say I've had a few too many cakes lately..... In an attempt to balance out the naughty stuff, I made this lovely, healthy chickpea and lemon soup, which is actually quite filling considering it's only 185 calories per serving.
I don't tend to count calories on food, (unless I'm congratulating myself on how healthy it is!!) But I thought it would be good to start building up a few low cal recipes as a go-to for those days when I want to eat a little lighter without feeling like I'm missing out. So I've started a new category called 'Skinny Eats'. My intention is to add tasty meals that are no more than 500 calories. I may add a few low calorie snacks in there too. It's simple to make, and you can really add whatever veg you've got lying about. I had some sweet potatoes in the cupboard, which are always great in soup as they add a silky sweetness and also help to thicken the soup. Carrots, butternut squash, parsnips or peppers would also be good.
Chickpea and Lemon Soup Recipe:
Chickpea and Lemon Soup
Ingredients
- 10 sprays Fry Light cooking spray
- 1 onion - diced
- 1 clove garlic - crushed
- 1 medium sweet potato - approx. 200g, peeled and diced
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 400g (14oz) tin of chickpeas - drained and rinsed
- 900 ml cold water
- 20 g vegetable bouillon powder
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Pinch of Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Spray a pan with 10 sprays of Fry Light, add the onions and cook on low for a couple of minutes. Then add in the garlic, give a quick stir and cook for another minute.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients except the lemon juice, bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 25 mins.
- After 25 mins, take the soup off the heat and carefully blend using a hand blender. If it looks a little thick, add a bit of boiling water.
- Pour in half the lemon juice, stir and test the soup, you can then add in more lemon juice and seasoning according to taste. I prefer to use all of the lemon juice, but this does make the soup quite zingy, so it's best to start off small and add in until it tastes right to you.
- Pour into three bowls and serve (You may want to add a bit of lemon zest and chopped parsley to garnish).
✎ Notes
Nutrition
Christine says
Such a filling low calorie soup, tastes wonderful.
Julie says
Made this today as part of my 5:2 diet today. I can't get the fry light spray where I live, and decided 1 tsp oil was too many calories, so I put everything in the pot without frying first. Only had 2/3rds of a tin of chickpeas and a slightly smaller chunk of sweet potato. So I reckon my soup came out at about 140 calories. Very nice it was too!!
Nicky Corbishley says
Brilliant! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Have you tried my Thai prawns dish? that's great for 5:2 as it's less than 250 cals.
Julie says
It looks delicious. I will definitely try it. I have had cauliflower rice before and I would microwave it with a drop of water rather than fry it. Less calories too!
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks for the tip Julie, I've never tried microwaving cauliflower rice before!
Saz says
Just tried this soup today and again : woooww !! lots of flavours and sweetness. The lemon is a perfect addition. I replaced cumin by turmeric and added a little fresh coriander . It's so good , thank you very much, i'm so so so sooo glad I found your blog. Next , cauliflower creamy soup ! 🙂
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
This is my kind of soup...creamy, warming and packed with flavours!
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks Angie, I love it. Especially as it's a nice slimline soup to allow for some cake 😀
davy says
Had a go at this last weekend. Having been on another six-month weight reduction torture programme I was looking for something a bit more interesting than the usual baked-potato with additional rabbit food scattering.
Very good indeed and highly impressed with the great taste AND calorie content. So for me it was a nice treat to have. Will be putting this onto the regular staple as I am sure it will keep me at my target weight despite the impending calorie ordinance coming my way over the holiday season.
nickycorbishley says
Thanks Dave, so glad you liked it and well done on your torture programme 🙂 I keep telling myself 'I'll be good on Monday' and it doesn't seem to be working, so I think I'm going to start on Wednesday, maybe that will somehow make a difference (yeah right!).
I'll try to get some more 'skinny eats' up on the blog soon, especially with all that easter chocolate looming......