Hearty Chickpea Vegetable Stew (Print Version)

Nourishing chickpea stew with colorful vegetables, aromatic Mediterranean spices, and wholesome plant-based ingredients.

# What You'll Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 zucchini, diced
08 - 1 cup fresh spinach leaves

→ Base and Liquids

09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
10 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Spices and Seasonings

12 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
15 - ½ teaspoon ground coriander
16 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
17 - ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
18 - 1 bay leaf

→ Optional Garnishes

19 - Fresh parsley, chopped
20 - Lemon wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 3 minutes until translucent.
02 - Stir in garlic, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Add cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, coriander, black pepper, and salt. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add chickpeas, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
05 - Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
06 - Add diced zucchini and cook for another 7 minutes until just tender.
07 - Stir in spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Remove bay leaf from the pot.
08 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed for desired flavor balance.
09 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's naturally filling without feeling heavy, thanks to the fiber from chickpeas and vegetables working together to keep you satisfied for hours.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, making it perfect for those nights when you don't want to make a special trip to the market.
  • The flavor deepens as it sits, so leftovers taste even better than the first bowl.
02 -
  • Don't skip the zucchini-at-the-end step, because adding it with everything else results in a mushy, flavorless vegetable that ruins the texture contrast.
  • Taste before you serve, because canned chickpeas vary wildly in their sodium content, and you might need to adjust the salt in unexpected ways.
  • The spinach needs to be truly fresh, not the pre-wilted bag stuff, because it makes a noticeable difference in how vibrant your final bowl looks and tastes.
03 -
  • If you have time, use dried chickpeas that you've soaked and cooked yourself, because they have a better texture and flavor than canned, though canned absolutely works when you're in a hurry.
  • Add a pinch of chili flakes at the end if you like heat, because stirring it in at the beginning sometimes makes it bitter, but adding it to individual bowls lets people control their own spice level.
  • Save that bay leaf trick for other soups and stews, because it genuinely adds something subtle and woodsy that you can't replicate otherwise.
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