Ham Chickpea Soup Lemon Dill (Printable)

A comforting soup featuring tender ham, creamy chickpeas, fresh dill, brightened by lemon zest and juice.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 9 oz cooked ham, diced

→ Legumes

02 - 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - Juice and zest of 1 lemon

→ Herbs & Spices

10 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
11 - 1 bay leaf
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing for 5-6 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced ham to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in broth and add chickpeas, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
05 - Remove bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Simmer for 2-3 additional minutes, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with extra dill if desired and serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours simmering when really you have dinner on the table in under an hour.
  • The lemon and dill make it feel light and Mediterranean even though the ham and chickpeas make it genuinely filling.
  • It's dairy-free but tastes rich and satisfying, which honestly surprised me the first time I made it.
02 -
  • If your soup tastes flat despite all the ingredients, it's probably because you need more lemon—acid wakes everything up and makes the herbs sing.
  • Mashing a handful of chickpeas with a fork before serving makes the broth creamier without adding dairy, and it feels like a small luxe moment in a simple soup.
03 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned chickpeas—that starchy liquid clouds the broth and mutes the flavors you're working so hard to build.
  • If you accidentally over-salt it (I did once), a pinch of sugar balances it out better than adding more broth and diluting everything.
Return