Blend the chickpeas

Pour two of the cans of chickpeas, including their liquid, into a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. This purée will form the base of the soup and help create a rich, velvety texture without needing any dairy. Set the blended chickpeas aside while you start the aromatics so everything can come together quickly.

Sauté the garlic

Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, just until it becomes fragrant and starts to soften, stirring frequently so it does not brown or burn. The goal is to gently infuse the oil with garlic flavor as the foundation of the soup.

Build the soup base

Stir the puréed chickpeas into the pot, followed by the second can of chickpeas, drained, along with the diced potato. Sprinkle in the paprika, dried rosemary, dried thyme, chili flakes, and a few grinds of black pepper, then stir everything together until the chickpeas and potatoes are well coated in the spices. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir again so the liquid and solids are evenly combined.

Bring to a simmer

Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium‑high to bring the soup to a gentle boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium‑low and let the soup simmer for about 15-20 minutes, lifting the lid to stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom. During this time, the potatoes will become tender and the flavors from the garlic, herbs, and paprika will meld into the broth.

Adjust the seasoning

After 15-20 minutes, check that the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork and give the soup a good stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and additional pepper as needed, keeping in mind that the exact amount of salt will depend on how salty your broth was to begin with. If you prefer a slightly thinner soup, you can add a splash more broth or hot water at this stage.