Golden Chickpea and Veggie Soup (PCOS Friendly)

This Crockpot Golden Chickpea & Veggie Soup is a soul-warming soup that’s packed with a rainbow of veggies, plenty of fiber from chickpeas, and all the warming goodness of turmeric and cinnamon. Adding chicken or tofu gives this PCOS friendly soup an additional protein punch. 

Why You’ll Love It

• Easy Meal Prep: This recipe uses a lot of pantry staples and the best part: all you have to do is throw everything into a slow cooker for a quick meal prep.

• High Fiber:   Thanks to the chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and other veggies, this recipe is packed with 8 grams of fiber to support blood sugar levels, fullness, and digestion.

• Protein packed: By adding chicken, you can boost the protein content of this soup to an impressive  25 grams of protein. Adding nutritional yeast when serving can increase the protein even more.

• Anti inflammatory: The turmeric and cinnamon add anti-inflammatory  properties to lower inflammation commonly associated with PCOS.

• Appealing to the eye: This soup is not only satisfying to taste but appealing to the eyes with all the colorful vegetables. 

• PCOS friendly: with 11g of fiber and 27g protein for balancing blood sugar, and a variety of herbs and spices to help with gut health and inflammation, this soup is a great option for those with PCOS. It is also packed with antioxidants like vitamin A and selenium to help lower inflammation.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Sweet Potato: adds a boost of fiber to keep you satiated and keep your blood sugars stable. Sweet potatoes also add color and flavor to this soup. You can use fresh sweet potatoes or you can use frozen diced sweet potatoes to save time making this soup.

• Broth: You can either use chicken broth or vegetable stock in this soup. I recommend looking for a lower sodium chicken broth or a lower sodium vegetable broth to help reduce your salt intake. 

• Garlic: you can use fresh garlic or store bought minced garlic. Tip: I like to buy garlic in bulk, mince it in a garlic press and then freeze them into individual servings using silicone molds. 

• Green Beans: these add a boost of fiber, antioxidants, and a pop of color to the soup. I like using frozen green beans to cut down on prep time, but fresh green beans work well too.

• Spinach: Spinach is filled with antioxidants to help reduce inflammation which is a common symptom of PCOS. You can use fresh spinach, or frozen chopped spinach to make it an even faster meal prep.

• Celery & Onion: these are often staple ingredients for many soups. Celery and onion provide a powerful flavor punch to many soups. You can use a vegetable chopper to help save time prepping ingredients for this soup.  

• Chickpeas: the star of the soup- chickpeas are packed with fiber and protein to help keep blood sugars stable and your stomach feeling satisfied after eating this soup. Tip: use a colander to help rinse and drain the chickpeas before adding to this soup. 

• Tomatoes: I try to get no salt added tomatoes to help reduce salt intake. Both diced tomatoes and petite diced tomatoes work just fine for this soup. 

• Olive oil: provides a source of healthy fats to help balance blood sugars. Olive oil also adds flavor to this soup. 

• Spices and herbs: ground turmeric, black pepper, ground cinnamon, paprika and dried basil add so much flavor and warmth to this delicious soup giving it a perfect balance of sweet and savory depth. 

• Chicken or Tofu: packed with protein you can easily make this soup a complete meal. You can use chicken to make it animal based or you can add protein to make it a vegetarian friendly soup.  Tip: use a tofu press to drain and remove moisture from the tofu before adding it into the soup. 

How to Make It:

Step One: Gather your crockpot and ingredients.

Add olive oil to the bottom of the crockpot.

Step Two: Prepare your Ingredients.

Chop onions, celery into roughly ¼ inch pieces. You can use a food chopper to help with this. Wash and dice fresh sweet potatoes into ½ inch cubes. Add chopped onion, chopped celery, diced sweet potatoes and minced garlic to the crock pot. Cook on high for about 1 hour or until onion and celery begin to become slightly translucent. 

Step Three: Add additional vegetables and herbs/spices.

Add broth, frozen spinach, frozen green beans, diced tomatoes and herbs/spices to the crockpot. Cook on high for an additional 2-3 hours. 

Step Four: Add protein. 

Add pre-cooked chicken or tofu, add it to the crockpot now as well.

Step Five: Add remaining ingredients.

Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to the crockpot. Cook for 1 more hour on high, or 2-3 hours on low. 

Step Six: Serve.

Serve warm topped  with parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast for a vegan alternative. 

Alternate stovetop directions: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, sweet potatoes, and garlic. Cook on low for about 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant and the onion becomes slightly translucent. Add broth, spinach, green beans, diced tomatoes, and fresh herbs/spices to the pot. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil. Then, reduce heat and cook on medium-low heat for about 20-25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. Add pre-cooked chicken or tofu and the rinsed/drained chickpeas. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings then serve. 

Variations, Substitutions and Tips: 

• Swap or add extra veggies: try using zucchini or bell peppers. Red, orange or yellow bell peppers are great and offer a subtle sweetness. You can also just add more vegetables in general but might need to add additional chicken broth or vegetable broth or enough water. 
• Pack it with protein: use pressed tofu for a plant based meal; or precooked chicken for a soup with animal based protein. If you don’t want to add protein into the soup try serving alongside some salmon or pork to add some additional protein. You could also use chicken bone broth to further increase the protein. 
• Swap the broth base for coconut milk if you’re after a more creamy texture. 
• Use an immersion blender or potato masher to get a more smooth and creamy texture. 
• Save time: use frozen veggies like frozen spinach, frozen green beans, and frozen sweet potatoes to cut back on prep time.
• In a pinch: you can saute the veggies ahead of time to reduce the cooking time, however the flavors are best expressed when cooked for a longer period of time.
• Add some heat: If you want to spice things up you can add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes while it’s cooking or to your individual portion. 

How To Store It:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors deepen as it sits, making it even better the next day.

To reheat, warm on the stovetop over low–medium heat or microwave in 1–2 minute intervals until heated through. Add a splash of broth or water if it thickens.

This soup freezes well. Freeze in individual portions in freezer bags or souper cubes for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

How To Serve It:

This PCOS Chickpea and Veggie Soup is both satisfying and soothing. With its PCOS friendly nutritional profile it can be served solo as a meal, or you can easily serve alongside a salad or a slice of  whole grain bread to make for a more hearty meal. 

• As a main dish: serve warm with either grated parmesan or nutritional yeast. 
• Add more veggies: consider adding other vegetables as well, such as red or yellow bell pepper, or zucchini to add even more fiber and nutrients. 
• Make it heartier: serve alongside with a crusty piece of whole grain bread dipped in some extra virgin olive oil.
• Add some fun and fiber: add a side salad and top off the meal with a tasty dessert like this Chocolate Chia Pudding or Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

More PCOS Friendly Recipes:

Lentil and White Bean Soup with Kale

High Protein Tomato Soup

PCOS Friendly Chicken Soup

PCOS Friendly Crock Pot Meals

If you make this Golden Chickpea and Veggie Soup, please consider leaving a star rating and review at the end of this blog post. This is incredibly helpful to me and helps other readers know what to expect.