This chickpea and tomato coconut curry soup is made in 30 minutes with mostly with pantry staples like canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, veggie broth, and dried spices. It’s so simple to throw together and has a TON of bold-and-scrumptious flavor. The perfect Meatless Monday cozy and comforting soup! Dairy free, vegetarian, and gluten free.

Our favorite 5-star chickpea curry soup!
Sharing the first soup recipe of the season here on NK makes soup season feel like a real real thing.
I have been testing and making a few different soup recipes for the last month or so, in prep for the colder days, but it wasn’t until this week that I really felt compelled to make soup.
You know the feeling – don’t you?
When you suddenly find yourself reaching for your fleece before getting in your car to drive home from work, because BRRR.
And, as you think about what would be good for dinner, and the only answer that chimes in your head with a resounding YES is… soup.
The simplicity of this soup with the amount of flavor that you can achieve with such a humble collection of pantry staples is why I think it’s always such a winner in our kitchen and for the NK community.
The majority of the ingredients are canned goods – chickpeas, diced tomatoes, broth, and coconut milk. And everything else is inexpensive to purchase and hardy / long-lasting (onions, garlic, limes).
The dried spices create the majority of the flavor in the broth, and IMO the garnishes are a non-negotiable to take the soup from good to great. The texture and depth that they add are really a no-brainer for such an elevated bowl of comfort!
We love a curry-based recipe at our house when we’re craving bold and warming flavors. These Red Curry and Peanut Rice Noodles are another easy back-pocket recipe we reach for on weeknights, and if you do eat meat a few other favorites are our recipes for Thai Coconut Curry Chicken and Vegetable Soup, and Skillet-Baked Curry Chicken Breast and Rice!


And amidst the dropping temps I swear the sunset time took a serious jump to an earlier time. Like waaay faster than the minute or two it’s supposed to shift each day.
How does that happen?!
But instead of dwelling on all the things we’re saying good bye to (summer I love you please don’t goooo), let’s try and do our best to embrace all the lovely parts of this season.
I mean to start there’s some colorful + crisp leaves that are already underfoot <— the best.
Plus the cozy-lazy weekends (where you maybe don’t take off your lounge-wear all day) spent watching football and cooking all the things are pretty much hereeee, friends!
And so are fragrant flavorful soups like this could-not-be-easier-to-make curried tomato chickpea number. It only takes 30 minutes, and you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now already.
YES YES YES. Let’s go!


A few ingredient notes
This time of year (okay maybe every time of year but especially right now), I’m big into curry and soup. The warming spices paired with creamy coconut milk are basically heaven on earth.
Curry paste and curry powder both have their place, but we’ll be using only curry powder for this soup recipe. It’s enough to impart all the flavor you need!
It doesn’t take a lot to bring the punchy flavor we’re after, and it’s keeps the recipe simple and to the point.
Onion and garlic make up the flavor base of the soup, and the curry powder is a non-negotiable. It’ll be sautéed with the aromatics to awaken it’s potential!
Fire roasted diced tomatoes are yummy if you can find them, and they also bring a little extra depth.
The chickpeas are the main source of heartiness, so you’ll need to grab 2 cans worth.
For the coconut milk! I love using a full-fat option for richness, but some readers have made the recipe with a light option and reported that it’s just as good.
Don’t forget the garnishes
And finally, the garnishes! As I mentioned I consider them essential in making this unpretentious soup something special. They really add so much to the final dish and shouldn’t be skipped if you can help it.
Without them the soup is still good, but fairly simple.
There’s something about the crunch of the cashews, the zip of the lime (<– an absolute must), the cilantro, and thinly sliced red onion for some must-have-freshness that takes this bowl of soup from good to OH-MY-GOODNESS amazing.
Trust.
If you feel like it, this soup would be lovely with a big old scoop of fragrant basmati rice, or even rice noodles. But they won’t be missed if you leave them out!

Ready in only 30 MINUTES so it’s basically made for those days when it feels like there’s just not enough time to make something substantial.
Buuuut it also has enough flavor and charm to spare that it’s perfect for a date night or get together.
AKA fancy fresh + and oh-so-yum. Ya feel me?
And with that I think it’s safe to say: HI SOUP SEASON WE’RE SO READY FOR YOU!
If you enjoyed this chickpea curry soup we’d love it if you would take a moment to rate and review it below! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 It’s also a great place to get your questions answered, and helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!
Print
30-Minute Chickpea and Tomato Coconut Curry Soup (Dairy Free & Gluten Free)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
This chickpea and tomato coconut curry soup is made in 30 minutes with mostly with pantry staples like canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, veggie broth, and dried spices. It’s so simple to throw together and has a TON of bold-and-scrumptious flavor. The perfect Meatless Monday cozy and comforting soup! Dairy free, vegetarian, and gluten free.
Ingredients
for soup
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 medium sized onion, diced small
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- A pinch of crushed dried chilies (optional – leave out for less spicy option)
- 1 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes – fire roasted are yummy if you can find them
- 2 15.5 oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk
- 3 cups of vegetable broth
- juice of half a lime
for garnish
- Fresh lime wedges
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Chopped roasted cashews – curry spiced cashews are excellent if you can find them!
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion, garlic and teaspoon of kosher salt. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft.
- Next, add the curry powder and pinch of dried chili and stir almost constantly for about 30 seconds or so, until spices are fragrant and start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the diced tomatoes and broth.
- Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until tomatoes are soft.
- Add chickpeas and coconut milk and bring back up to a very gentle simmer so the coconut milk doesn’t separate. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so to marry the flavors.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and juice of half a lime.
- Serve topped with sliced red onion, cilantro, roasted cashews and more lime wedges.
Notes
This soup should keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a covered container, and can be frozen for 2-3 months.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Curry








Eliana says
This soup is so delicious! I used half of the coconut milk called for. Additionally, as another reviewer suggested, I added kale. We were fighting over the last spoonfuls of this soup. And it was easy to make. Thank you!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes! Love to hear it 🙂 Kale in this soup is so perfect. Thank you for taking the time to leave your review and happy cooking!! – Nyssa
Brenda says
Sounds delicious!
Before I make it, I would like the nutrition information.
Is there any?
Thank you!
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Brenda! I have just added the nutrition information, so you should be able to find what you need now! Hope you enjoy 🙂 – Nyssa
Gina says
This was outstanding and SO easy to make!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes yes! Easy dinners for the win. I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Anonymous says
Csilla Carson says
Love this recipe. I recommend trying this . Made it a few times.
Eros says
Was served this by a friend last year and had to ask for the recipe. Made it many times since. Simple and delicious, great texture with the crunchy toppings.
When I can, I use buttery-flavour coconut oil for added richness (though it does separate until reheated). Prepare your own curry powder if stores near you carry bitter types.
Didn’t love soups until I had this dish. Thanks!
Nyssa Tanner says
Aw, yes! I love love hearing that. Love the simple modifications that you made! Thanks for your comment, and happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Kelly says
Delicious! My second time making this. I add kale and only use one can of chickpeas. Also add fresh chopped hot peppers! So amazing!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yum! That sounds so good – love the addition of kale and hot peppers. Thanks for your comment and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Lisa says
This is the best thing I have ever managed to cook. I’m not very confident in the kitchen but this was so easy and ridiculously tasty! I used the chickpea water as part of the broth and didnt add more salt at the end instead. Delicious recipe thank you for making me look like a good cook lol
Nyssa Tanner says
Aww, yes! This comment made me so happy to read 🙂 Love that you enjoyed this recipe and that it turned out so delicious for you. Hooray for easy recipes that are also delicious! Thank you for taking the time to drop me a note – I really appreciate it! Happy cooking! – Nyssa