Chickpea stew is a thick and hearty stew loaded with chickpeas and vegetables in a creamy coconut broth, topped with fresh mint leaves, and sprinkled with smoked paprika. This chickpea soup recipe cooks in 1 pot for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Whenever I crave comfort food, I think of thick savory stews. Chickpea stew combines my favorite vegetables in a creamy, light, coconut broth. My chickpea stew recipe is so thick and delicious, that you won't believe how nutritious it is.
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Fall is the perfect time for soups and stews. But you may wonder what is the difference between a soup and a stew.
Soup, although fabulous and warming, is often thinner. Whereas, a stew is thick and hearty.
Often, I serve a soup with a sandwich or salad, while a stew, like a chickpea stew, is a meal all on its own. Instead, I often serve stews with vegan garlic naan or a piece of crusty bread to soak up any delicious broth left in the bowl.
Stew Ingredients
To begin, chickpea stew starts with a combination of savory and delicious ingredients.
- White Onion: White onions contain antioxidants and compounds that fight inflammation, decrease triglycerides and reduce cholesterol levels, all of which are effective in improving your heart health. Likewise, the anti-inflammatory properties of white onions may help reduce high blood pressure and protect against blood clots
- Garlic: Garlic is widely recognized for its ability to fight bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even parasites. One study found that allicin, an active component of freshly crushed garlic, had antiviral properties and was also effective against a broad range of bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains of E.
- Ginger: I love fresh ginger in recipes. It has such a unique flavor profile.
- Tumeric: Ground turmeric is overwhelmingly earthy and bitter, almost musky, with a bit of peppery spice.
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas are brimming with vitamins and minerals. These include choline, which helps your brain and nervous system run smoothly, as well as folate, magnesium, potassium, and iron. For good measure, chickpeas are also high in vitamins A, E, and C.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Adding red peppers to a dish at the beginning of cooking will give the entire dish some heat while adding them at the end will give it a subtly (and slightly fruity) spicy edge.
- Baby Gold Potatoes: Small, immature Yukon golds are often sold as “baby Yukon golds.” They're good for roasting and adding to soups and stews.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes and fresh tomatoes are equally nutritious
- Lite Coconut Milk: Lite coconut milk is lower in fat and calories. For a fat-free option, see the substitutions below.
- Organic Vegetable Broth: I buy organic vegetable broth in bulk at Costco.
- Organic Fresh Spinach: Spinach is on the dirty dozen list, so I buy organic.
- Mint leaves: Mint is used as a garnish for the soup and provides a fresh green taste to the stew.
- Smoked Paprika: Smoked Paprika is also used as a garnish to add a smokey flavor to the chickpea stew.
Stew Ingredient Substitutions
- Choose red on yellow onion to replace the white onion in the recipe.
- Use garlic powder instead of minced garlic. However, you will need to adjust the amount used. ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder is roughly equal to ½ teaspoon of jarred minced garlic (one clove). Keep in mind that powdered garlic is milder than minced, so the flavor may be altered somewhat.
- For 1 teaspoon fresh or ground ginger, substitute 1 teaspoon ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground mace, or ground nutmeg.
- Paprika is a common pantry ingredient, sweet, hot, or smoked paprika will work as an alternative to turmeric.
- Use Cannellini beans to replace chickpeas in recipes.
- The most commonly used pepper for crushed red pepper flakes is the cayenne pepper.
- Try red-skinned potatoes or white potatoes instead of baby gold potatoes. The trick is to make sure they are cut the same size so they cook evenly.
- I also enjoy fire-roasted canned tomatoes for a smokier flavor.
- For a fat-free option, instead of lite coconut milk, swap it for unflavored, unsweetened plant milk and add ½ teaspoon of coconut extract.
- Choose any greens instead of spinach.
- I enjoy parsley or basil with this chickpea stew recipe.
Once the chickpeas begin to break down, combine all the ingredients. Because the potatoes need to cook through, the stew needs to be covered and simmered for 20 minutes.
Since potatoes are never a standard size, make sure you cut them into equal-sized pieces, and check to make sure the potatoes are soft and pierce with a fork.
Next, the spinach is added last and quickly wilts in the heat of the broth and other vegetables.
When the spinach is submerged in the fluid, the stew begins to thicken more.
If you plan to make the chickpeas stew ahead of time, wait until you reheat it to add the spinach.
In order to add even more flavor to the chickpeas stew, add fresh mint leaves and sprinkle with smoked paprika as a garnish. I suggest serving it with garlic naan and a mango salad.
Recipe FAQs
Once prepared, store this stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat on the stovetop adding more vegetable broth as you reheat if needed.
They are the basis for foods like hummus and falafel and, while it is convenient to use canned chickpeas, dried chickpeas really are a better option. Dried chickpeas are much more economical and they tend to have a more natural flavor because they aren't soaked in preservatives.
Yes, you can freeze chickpea stew for around 2 months. It freezes really well in an airtight container which then makes perfect midweek meals without any prep work or fuss. Simply defrost overnight then reheat the next day.
Tips
- Don’t stir the chickpea stew too often. Stirring while the mixture simmers will remove the peels from the chickpeas making the stew a bit messy. No worries, that might affect only the way it looks, not the flavor. ; )
- For a thick, richer texture, remove 1 cup of the mixture, blend it separately, return it to the pot and stir to combine. The stew will be more luscious!
- Let the stew rest a little bit before serving, you’ll be able to taste and adjust the seasoning properly if the stew is not too hot. You might want to add an extra pinch of salt or black pepper until the flavor pops.
- Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days or freeze them in freezer-safe containers for 3 months. Thaw out overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop or microwave oven.
- I like to use Souper Cubes to freeze my soups. Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers to enjoy soup all winter long.
- Serve this tasty stew with cooked grains (like rice, couscous, or quinoa) or stuffed inside of a potato.
- Pair this vegan chickpea stew with some roasted vegetables.
- Pour the thick, rich chickpea stew into a bowl by itself and enjoy it with a generous slice of crusty bread.
For a quick and easy weeknight meal, try this chickpea stew recipe. Serve dinner in 25 minutes or less all in one pot!
Try Some Other Fabulous Soups
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📖 Recipe
Chickpea Stew
Ingredients
- 1 large white onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger minced
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 30 ounces chickpeas drained
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes sensitive to spice? start with 1 teaspoon and then taste before adding the second
- 12 ounces baby gold potatoes skin on; cut in halves
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes
- 15 ounces lite coconut milk or sub 2 cups of plant milk of choice
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- Mint leaves and Paprika for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent.
- Add turmeric, ginger, and red pepper flakes (begin with 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes if you are sensitive to spice; another teaspoon can be added later if desired)
- Add the 2 cans of drained chickpeas, and cook the chickpeas until they begin to break down, some but not all of them breaking apart.
- Now, add diced tomatoes, cut potatoes, coconut milk, and vegetable broth
- Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cover.
- Cook for 20 minutes, until potatoes, are soft (pierce with a fork to test)
- Remove cover and add spinach one handful at a time until it wilts into the broth and vegetables.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Serve in individual bowls and garnish with a few fresh mint leaves and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
- I served with oil-free naan
Notes
- Don’t stir the chickpea stew too often. Stirring while the mixture simmers will remove the peels from the chickpeas making the stew a bit messy. No worries, that might affect only the way it looks, not the flavor. ; )
- For a thick, richer texture, remove 1 cup of the mixture, blend it separately, return it to the pot and stir to combine. The stew will be more luscious!
- Let the stew rest a little bit before serving, you’ll be able to taste and adjust the seasoning properly if the stew is not too hot. You might want to add an extra pinch of salt or black pepper until the flavor pops.
- Refrigerate any leftovers up to 5 days or freeze in freezer safe containers for 3 months. Thaw out overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on stovetop pr microwave oven.
- I like to use Souper Cubes to freeze my soups. Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers to enjoy soup all winter long.
- Serve this tasty stew with a cooked grains (like rice, couscous or quinoa) or stuffed inside of a potato.
- Pair this vegan chickpea stew with some roasted vegetables.
- Pour the thick, rich chickpea stew into a bowl by itself and enjoy it with a generous slice of crusty bread.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Susan
Outstanding recipe!! Another keeper
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Susan! Thank you so much; I appreciate the feedback, and I'm so glad you liked the recipe. Stay healthy and safe.
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