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Home Soups

Lamb Shawarma Chickpea Soup

By:Nagi
Published:6 Dec '17Updated:11 Oct '23
213 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

No bland chickpea soup in my world! Exploding with flavour, this tastes like your favourite Chicken Shawarma – except it’s in soup form with lamb and chickpeas. Filling, nutritious and quick to make!

A chickpea soup exploding with flavour! Tastes like Chicken Shawarma in soup form with lamb, quick to make, nutritious and filling. recipetineats.com

Chickpea soup with flavour explosion!

I had every intention of making a wholesome, chickpea and vegetable soup.

I really, really tried to get excited about it.

It is possible to make a great meat-free chickpea soup (I promise I will share mine one day!). But, but, but…. I wanted kapow flavours. Actually, I was really tempted to do the long haul drive for a good laksa fix. I felt like I deserved it. (But then, I always feel I deserve it….)

So I compromised. Chickpeas. Veggie loaded – there’s a whole bunch of spinach in this, plus carrots plus onion (yes that counts towards your daily veggie intake, I checked!). Lamb for protein, cooked with my Chicken Shawarma spice mix – wait until you smell this part!!!! It’s SO GOOD!

A chickpea soup exploding with flavour! Tastes like Chicken Shawarma in soup form with lamb, quick to make, nutritious and filling. recipetineats.com

Shawarma Spice Mix

This is the same shawarma spice mix I use for Chicken Shawarma, a long standing reader favourite. The combination of spices in this is intoxicating!

A chickpea soup exploding with flavour! Tastes like Chicken Shawarma in soup form with lamb, quick to make, nutritious and filling. recipetineats.com

English Spinach for Middle Eastern Lamb, Chickpea and Spinach Soup recipetineats.com

Oh boy. If you like kapow flavours, or if you are dubious about chickpea soups having been scarred by bland ones in the past, this Lamb Shawarma Chickpea Soup is for you!! It’s really fragrant, the soup itself is quite intense from both the spices and also the lamb. It’s hearty, almost stew-like. Actually, I didn’t know whether to call this a stew or soup.

A chickpea soup exploding with flavour! Tastes like Chicken Shawarma in soup form with lamb, quick to make, nutritious and filling. recipetineats.com

A chickpea soup exploding with flavour! Tastes like Chicken Shawarma in soup form with lamb, quick to make, nutritious and filling. recipetineats.com

Because the soup flavouring is from the Shawarma Spice Mix, there’s no need to simmer this for ages. Just long enough for the carrot to become tender. Oh, also, I use canned chickpeas here. Speedy, unplanned meal. 🙂

But if you do have the foresight to plan and want to take it over the top, add a side of homemade flatbreads (simple, no yeast!) or make this mind blowingly easy crusty Artisan bread.

Update: I recently created a similar but different variation of this soup in the form of Beef & Lentil Soup. This was has more Moroccan-inspired flavours. Give it a try too!

– Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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A chickpea soup exploding with flavour! Tastes like Chicken Shawarma in soup form with lamb, quick to make, nutritious and filling. recipetineats.com

Chickpea Lamb Shawarma Soup

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 20 minutes mins
Total: 30 minutes mins
Main
Middle Eastern
5 from 84 votes
Servings4 - 5 people
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No such thing as bland chickpea soups in my world! Exploding with the flavours of your favourite Chicken Shawarma, except it’s in SOUP form with lamb and chickpeas! This is not spicy, the small amount of cayenne pepper gives it a tiny warm hum, so if you want it spicier, just add more at the end. Deceptively veggie loaded and is quick to make! Recipe VIDEO below.

Ingredients

Spices:

  • 2 tsp EACH cumin powder, coriander, paprika
  • 1 tsp cardamon powder (can omit if you don’t have)
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt

Soup:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 onion , finely chopped
  • 500 g / 1 lb lamb mince (ground lamb, or beef) (Note 1)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 carrots , peeled and chopped (about size of chickpeas)
  • 600 g / 21 oz canned chickpeas , drained and rinsed (1.5 standard cans, Note 2)
  • 400 g / 14 oz can crushed tomato
  • 3 cups / 750 ml chicken broth / stock
  • 1 bunch spinach , roughly chopped (about 4 packed cups) (wilts a lot)

Garnishes (highly recommended):

  • Plain yoghurt (or sour cream)
  • Chopped fresh coriander / cilantro

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute until starting to turn translucent.
  • Add lamb and cook, breaking it up as you go. When it has mostly turned from pink to light brown, add spices.
  • Cook for 1 minute, then add tomato paste and cook for another 1 minute. (It smells amazing!)
  • Add carrots, chickpeas, tomato and broth. Stir and bring to simmer.
  • Cover with lid, lower heat so it is bubbling energetically but not crazy rapidly. Cook for 10 minutes until carrot is tender but not super soft – I like it to have a bit of bite still, if you want super soft, keep cooking.
  • Stir through spinach. Once wilted, adjust salt, pepper and spiciness (cayenne) to taste, and water if you want more liquid.
  • Ladle into bowls, add a dollop of yoghurt and a generous sprinkling of coriander. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

1. Beef is the next best sub. Chicken, turkey and veal can also be used. Not sure about pork.
2. CHICKPEAS - The net drained weight of canned chickpeas is only about 220g/7oz per can. I only use 1 ½ cans because I think that’s enough chickpeas for 4 to 5 servings, but you should feel free to toss the rest in. I just used the rest in a salad the next day.
3. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings. It's quite filling! The lamb accounts for about 295 calories of the total cal per serving shown. If you substituted lamb with 4 - 5 cups of chopped vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms so the soup volume per serve is still the same, then it would be 215 calories per serving. I will share a vegetarian version one day!

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 474gCalories: 458cal (23%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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213 Comments

  1. Mandy says

    November 16, 2023 at 1:21 pm

    Teens & I really loved this. Naan bread or pappadums with it & you are not disappointed.

    Reply
  2. Steph says

    October 7, 2023 at 11:19 am

    I followed as per the recipe but it was a little spicy for me.. I measured the cayenne and pepper but the particular brand I have must be an extra spicy one!! So next time I might add half. To tone it down a bit though I added a few ladles of the stew into a skillet, cracked a couple of eggs in and simmered gently until the eggs were cooked. A shakshuka of sorts. It was really delicious since the eggs balanced out the spicy/acidic (from tomatoes). A chunky soft piece of white bread with butter would also be amazing with it. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Shari says

    October 4, 2023 at 11:58 am

    I honestly wasn’t sure how this would taste, but give me lamb, chickpeas and spinach… I’ll give it a try. My goodness!!!! It was so delicious! I wanted, but of course couldn’t, drink/eat the whole pot!!! The flavors were extraordinary scrumptious and the textures with the carrots was perfect. Nagi, once again you do not disappoint!! Thank you so much! BTW, I married a Greek man raised on his mama’s cooking. Thanks for helping out this Southern girl (USA) to give him the flavors he is use to. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Rita says

    October 2, 2023 at 3:22 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! Made per the recipe. Will be doubling this next time so there are some leftovers for freezing!

    Reply
  5. Lilliana says

    September 28, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    Nagi – this is good. Almost a stew rather than a soup – it has much of the flavour of a tagine with very little of the effort.
    Great job as usual

    Reply
  6. Janette Hill says

    September 25, 2023 at 9:25 pm

    Hi Nagi, I have a “Shwarma Seasoning” spice blend. Can I replace the individual spices listed in recipe and replace them with the equivalent total of tablespoons/teaspoons of the quantity of spices you listed? (Minus the salt and pepper, which I would add separately.) Thanks! LOVE your recipes. Love Dozer.

    Reply
  7. Dianne Kendrick says

    July 27, 2023 at 10:01 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious. Enjoyed by the whole family.

    Reply
  8. Bonnie Bentley says

    July 16, 2023 at 12:15 am

    5 stars
    I am so in love with this soup. There was a pound of ground lamb in the freezer and a can of chickpeas in the pantry. Specifically googled those two ingredients for a recipe when I found your website. It was a hot summer day in Michigan but any day is a soup day!! Definitely will make this again. The family loved it. Can’t wait to explore more of your recipes and I am now following you on instagram. ❤️

    Reply
  9. tara says

    May 9, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    Melbourne is serving rainy wintery weather so we served this up tonight and it is hitting all the right spots! So warming and tasty, and totally has me a chickpea convert!

    Reply
  10. Ash says

    April 30, 2023 at 5:44 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious on a cold rainy day. I didn’t have lamb mince, so diced some lamb legs steaks I had in the freezer into chunks. Still worked great.

    Reply
  11. Cher says

    March 23, 2023 at 8:01 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! All our family love dish – lovely and tasty with everything you need in one dish. Even better served with the flatbreads which are so quick to make.
    Thanks again for yet another lovely recipe Nagi!

    Reply
  12. Lisa says

    March 4, 2023 at 7:18 am

    5 stars
    I love this soup and I sent the recipe my friends! I have made it with ground lamb, lamb stew meat, beef stew meat, venison, and moose. It is always delicious and freezes so well. I always make it in the Instant Pot to make it extra easy.

    Reply
  13. Maryse says

    November 28, 2022 at 10:43 am

    5 stars
    I made this vegan and heated up plant-based shawarma to put on top right before serving. Delicious!

    Reply
  14. Renee Cooper says

    November 11, 2022 at 8:35 am

    5 stars
    NAGI ~ This was truly awesome! Thank you

    Reply
  15. Molly says

    November 5, 2022 at 7:41 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing! So warming, such rich layers of flavour. I am a cinnamon hater but I put my trust in you Nagi and it really did add a great touch.

    Reply
  16. Lisa says

    October 21, 2022 at 4:03 am

    5 stars
    I have made this soup multiple times with lamb or beef and every time it is so delicious.

    Reply
  17. Kilee says

    October 10, 2022 at 1:23 pm

    I made this for dinner tonight and instead of using yogurt we used Labne. Labne is a staple in our house, my husband’s family is Lebanese and Labne goes so well with lamb and these spices. Here in the states find it in whole foods type stores. This soup is so delicious!!!

    Reply
  18. Margie says

    October 3, 2022 at 11:12 am

    5 stars
    I saw this on your instagram earlier this week and thought this would be perfect for today (a rainy Sunday). It was! Very comforting dish for a chilly, grey, rainy day.

    Reply
  19. Allison says

    September 26, 2022 at 9:58 am

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was a hit! I treated it as a stew and served it over rice. So delicious. My kids asked me to make it again already. Another RecipeTin success! Thanks, Nagi!

    Reply
  20. Terra says

    September 21, 2022 at 3:10 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing…such great flavor! I make this probably once a month. Everyone loves it.

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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