Comfort
Chickpea & Spinach Macaroni Soup
A bowlful of this soup is one of the most honest ways to break a fast — warm, deeply nourishing, built from things that are almost always in the cupboard. Cibo di Italia Macaroni cooks directly in the spiced chickpea broth so the pasta soaks up all the flavour. It is vegetarian, it is make-ahead friendly, and it feeds a large family from a single pot.
Ingredients
- 250 g Cibo di Italia Macaroni
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 piece large onion — finely diced
- 4 pieces garlic cloves — minced
- 2 pieces celery sticks — finely sliced
- 2 pieces medium carrots — peeled and finely diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes — optional
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 800 g cooked chickpeas — two 400g tins, drained and rinsed
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 l vegetable stock
- 100 g baby spinach — or chopped Swiss chard
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- to taste salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley or coriander — chopped, to serve
- to taste extra-virgin olive oil — for drizzling to serve
Method
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Step 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots with a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring regularly, for 8–10 minutes until softened and starting to colour.
10 min
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Step 2. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and chilli flakes. Stir for 2 minutes until fragrant.
2 min
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Step 3. Add the tomato paste, stir for 1 minute. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stock. Add the chickpeas and stir everything together. Bring to a steady simmer.
5 min
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Step 4. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes, partially covered, to let the flavours develop. Taste and season generously — a soup this hearty needs proper salt.
15 min
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Step 5. If you prefer a slightly thicker base, use the back of a ladle to crush about a quarter of the chickpeas against the side of the pot. Stir through.
1 min
-
Step 6. Add the macaroni directly to the simmering soup. Cook, uncovered, for 8–9 minutes until the pasta is just tender, stirring regularly so the macaroni does not stick to the bottom. The soup will thicken as the pasta cooks.
9 min
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Step 7. Stir in the spinach and lemon juice. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Remove from heat.
2 min
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Step 8. Ladle into bowls. Drizzle each portion with extra-virgin olive oil, scatter with fresh herbs and serve with warm flatbread.
Goes well with
Warm turmeric and ginger honey water — soothing on a stomach that has been fasting and beautifully complementary to the soup spices.
Warm flatbread — essential for scooping and mopping. Add a side of pickled vegetables for brightness and contrast.
Sweet vermicelli with milk and rose water — light enough after a filling soup, and a beloved iftar sweet across the Gulf.
Nutrition
Scaled to your servings
- 420kcalCalories21%
- 62gCarbohydrate24%
- 18gProtein36%
- 10gFat14%
The pasta we used
Cibo di Italia Macaroni
500g · Cooks in 8–10 minutes · Serves ~5
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