Spicy Chickpea Stew (Printable Version)

Hearty Mediterranean stew with chickpeas and warming spices, ready in 50 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1 zucchini, diced

→ Legumes

07 - 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

→ Spices & Seasonings

08 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - 1 teaspoon ground coriander
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 1 teaspoon sea salt

→ Liquids

15 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
16 - 3 cups vegetable broth

→ Finishing Touches

17 - 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped
18 - Juice of 1 lemon
19 - Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent.
02 - Add minced garlic, diced carrots, diced bell pepper, and diced zucchini. Cook while stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, chili flakes, black pepper, and sea salt. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add drained chickpeas, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add chopped spinach or kale and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
06 - Stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of stew that fills your kitchen with an aroma so good your neighbors might knock on the door asking what you're cooking.
  • One pot means one pot to clean, and the leftovers taste even better the next day when all those spices have gotten properly acquainted.
  • Your gut will thank you, and so will your wallet—chickpeas are honest food that doesn't apologize for being nourishing.
02 -
  • Don't skip the toasting of the spices—that one minute is the difference between a stew that tastes like it happened to you and one you deliberately created.
  • Taste as you go, especially with the lemon juice at the end; it's the thing that either makes this stew sing or leaves it one-dimensional, so add it slowly and notice what changes.
03 -
  • Never skip the step of rinsing your canned chickpeas—that starchy liquid makes the stew cloudy and gluey instead of clean and glossy.
  • If your stew tastes flat even after tasting and adjusting, it's probably missing enough salt; add it bit by bit and watch how it wakes everything up.
Go Back