This easy soup is warming on a rainy day but light enough for spring. To the classic trio of onion, carrots, and celery, I added chickpeas, wheat pasta, and sprigs from my dormant rosemary plant. Nutty and satisfying, chickpeas are packed with protein, fiber, and iron to combat rainy day malaise. 

I like to purée this soup before adding the pasta, but you can enjoy a chunky soup if you’d rather not get your blender dirty. On a wet spring day, sweet cornbread and a good book are perfect accompaniments.

  

Chickpea Noodle Soup with Rosemary

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery spears, chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, rinsed (or one teaspoon dried)

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed

4 cups vegetable broth

½ cup whole wheat pasta shapes (elbows, rotini, etc.), cooked

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté for five minutes, until the onions are translucent. 

Add the rosemary, along with the salt and pepper, and continue sautéing for another five minutes. The onions will be partially browned and the rosemary will become fragrant.

Add the chickpeas and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for ten minutes. 

Remove the rosemary sprigs and allow the soup to cool slightly. Purée the soup in a blender, if desired. 

Return the soup to a simmer in the saucepan. Add the pasta and simmer until warmed through.

Serves 4.

Mary Lake is a writer, teacher, columnist for MF&L, and vegetarian blogger: Mitten Machen