Hearty Chickpea and Vegetable Stew (Printable)

Plant-based stew with chickpeas and colorful vegetables for nourishing meals.

# 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 & Liquids

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

→ Spices & 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

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 3 minutes until translucent.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, sliced carrots, celery, and diced red bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Add ground 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.
06 - Add diced zucchini and cook for 7 minutes until just tender.
07 - Stir in fresh spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Remove bay leaf.
08 - Taste the stew and adjust salt and pepper as needed for desired flavor balance.
09 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort but feels like nourishment, which is rarer than you'd think.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, so weeknight cooking doesn't feel like a production.
  • The spice blend is warm and subtle enough that even cautious eaters ask for the recipe.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 1-minute spice toasting step—it's the difference between a good stew and one that tastes like actual food rather than boiled vegetables.
  • Add the zucchini late in cooking; it releases water and turns soft if it simmers the whole time, which sounds small but changes the texture completely.
03 -
  • Make a double batch and freeze half—it tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have settled into each other.
  • If you're using dried chickpeas, cook them until just tender but not mushy, or they'll fall apart in the stew and disappear.
Go Back