Spicy Chickpea Stew (Printable)

Hearty Mediterranean bowl with chickpeas, vegetables, and warming spices. Ready in under an hour.

# What You'll 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 red 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

# How To Make It:

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, bell pepper, and zucchini. Cook, 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 with juice, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Add fresh spinach or kale and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
06 - Stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro or parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the rare dish that tastes decadent yet makes your body feel lighter afterward—the spices do the heavy lifting so you don't need cream or oil.
  • Ready in under an hour but tastes like you've been tending it all day, which means weeknight dinner doesn't feel like a compromise.
  • Naturally vegan and gluten-free without tasting like anything is missing, so it welcomes everyone to the table.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing your canned chickpeas—that starchy liquid is why people sometimes complain about beans causing digestive upset, and rinsing removes it completely.
  • The lemon juice at the end isn't optional garnish; it's the ingredient that transforms a good stew into one that tastes bright, balanced, and crave-worthy.
03 -
  • Don't rush the onion-cooking step—those extra minutes of sweating vegetables create a deeper, more complex flavor foundation that elevates the entire stew.
  • If your stew tastes flat despite all the spices, it's probably missing salt or lemon—these two ingredients work together to amplify everything else and bring balance.
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