There is nothing I love more than a bright green soup packed with flavor and really wholesome ingredients, and this parsley oil chickpea soup really fit the bill. It’s filled with chickpeas, kale, zesty and flavorful spices, and at the end you add a dash of plant-based milk for creaminess and a bright green parsley oil vinegar and it all comes together into a bright green masterpiece that I would be thrilled to call dinner. I mean, I’m thrilled to call it breakfast, even. And if you think I’m kidding – try it with a jammy egg on top and tell me that it’s not the most perfect breakfast with a side of toast.
This parsley oil chickpea soup is easy, quick, versatile and a feast for the eyes. The only thing that makes it better is how simple it is to make, read on for all the details!
Table of contents
What is parsley oil?
Parsley oil, similar to other herb oils, is typically a blended and strained combination of blanched parsley and olive oil or a light oil, such as avocado or grapeseed. Herb oils are typically used as a garnish, not a full recipe addition, which is why this parsley oil is a little different than the rest.
How is this parsley oil different?
Instead of being just a combination of blanched parsley and a light oil or olive oil, think of this parsley oil as more of an emulsified vinaigrette. It uses both vinegar and olive oil with a hit of salt to create something with a bit more substance to add to the soup. I felt the vinegar addition really brings out the fresh and herbaceous side of the parsley, and that’s why this parsley oil might not be a proper “oil,” but it really brings something different to the recipe.
What do you need to make this parsley oil?
- 2 cups fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Ingredients for the rest of this parsley oil chickpea soup
The ingredient list might look a bit long here, but these are all pantry staples (except for a few spices, but we can get to that later). Here is everything you’ll need for the rest of the soup:
- 1/2 large yellow onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 tsp each coriander, cumin, and asafoetida – I know asafoetida is hard to come by, so feel free to omit it from this recipe!
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup unsweetened and unflavored almond milk or oat milk
- 1 packed cup of kale, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon for juicing
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- Olive oil as needed & for garnish
How to make this parsley oil chickpea soup
This recipe comes down to timing – but after you make the parsley oil, it’s really super quick and simple. Here is a step-by-step of what you need to do to make this bright green chickpea soup:
- Put a stock pot or high-sided sauté pan on medium heat. Add in a glug of olive oil and let it come to temperature.
- Add in the sliced onion. Season with salt and stir occasionally, until the onion softens slightly, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, cumin, coriander, asafoetida and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic’s raw smell is cooked off.
- Add in the chickpeas and stir to combine with the spices and aromatics.
- Add in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add in the kale. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed
- When the flavors have built. Remove the soup from the stove and let it sit for 5 minutes. This is to let it cool slightly (it will still be warm!) so that the parsley oil doesn’t lose its green hue right when hitting a very hot soup.
- Add the plant-based milk, the parsley oil, and the juice from one lemon. Stir, taste, and season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Garnish with olive oil and a lemon wedge and serve immediately!
My one big tip for this recipe
My one big tip for this recipe is – to preserve the color of the soup, let it cool for 5 minutes before adding the parsley oil. If the parsley oil hits a still-simmering soup, it will dull in color almost immediately. Let the soup get to a gentle “warm” before adding it in as the grand finale!
Looking for other soup recipes?
I love a good soup, and the blog now has tons! Here are a few of my most recent favorites:
And that’s it for these parsley oil chickpeas!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Parsley Oil Chickpea Soup
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 dutch oven or stock pot
- 1 small blender
- 1 small sieve or strainer
- 1 high sided sauté pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup ice water
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 large yellow onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic finely grated
- 1 tsp each coriander, cumin, and asafoetida
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup unsweetened and unflavored almond milk or oat milk
- 1 packed cup of kale roughly chopped
- 1 lemon for juicing
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed
- Olive oil as needed & for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Blanch the parsley by dunking it in the boiling water, let it boil for 1 minute, turning bright green, and them immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water.
- Squeeze to wring out any excess moisture and add the parsley to a blender. Add in the 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 cup of ice water. Blend until smooth.
- Strain this mixture through a sieve and into a bigger bowl. You should get a bright green broth. Set aside.
- Put a stock pot or high-sided sauté pan on medium heat. Add in a glug of olive oil and let it come to temperature.
- Add in the sliced onion. Season with salt and stir occasionally, until the onion softens slightly, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, cumin, coriander, asafoetida and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the garlic's raw smell is cooked off.
- Add in the chickpeas and stir to combine with the spices and aromatics.
- Add in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add in the kale. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed
- When the flavors have built. Remove the soup from the stove and let it sit for 5 minutes. This is to let it cool slightly (it will still be warm!) so that the parsley oil doesn't lose its green hue right when hitting a very hot soup.
- Add the plant-based milk, the parsley oil, and the juice from one lemon. Stir, taste, and season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Garnish with olive oil and a lemon wedge and serve immediately!
The further and further I got in this recipe, the less and less I believed it would be any good; but in a strange and unexpected twist, it was great! I didn’t have any asafoetida, as I had never heard of it before, and I subbed cream for the plant milk, but otherwise I stayed true to the recipe. Husband said it reminded him a little of pickles and gave it two thumbs up. Thanks, Justine, for ensuring the random bunch of parsley I didn’t know what to do with ended up being put to good use.
I was nervous this review was going to be bad but I’m so thrilled you liked it!
The receipe is really good! I like the balance between earthy and acidic. If taking the whole parsley oil, I would lower the amount of vinegar. I would also add grilled halloumi cheese and grilled sunflower seed to bring a little crunchiness and saltiness in the soup or add croutons. But all in all this is a great soup and it will certainly go in my go-to receipe.