Perfect for meatless monday or any day of the week, this fresh and flavourful spiced chickpea stew has a juicy base of canned tomatoes, rich with fresh ginger, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric. A nourishing one pot plant-based dinner that comes together in 20 minutes of hands on time!

chickpea stew in pot with ladle
Fresh, juicy and richly spiced, this chickpea stew is a cozy one pot meal for meatless monday or any day!

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On a scale of 1 to 1000, how much do you love chickpeas? No contest, chickpeas are the MVP in this house for their versatility and, full disclosure, because my kids actually love them. We smash them into chickpea β€œtuna”. Simmer them in coconut curry. And yep, we make them into stew. 

On a chilly day, there is nothing better than simmering a pot of warm chickpea stew, and letting the fragrance act upon your (my!) weary nervous system as a little cooking aromatherapy.

I took inspiration for this spiced chickpea stew from harira, a classic Moroccan stew of chickpeas and lentils…but this definitely isn’t harira. I mean, off the top, it’s vegan and there are no lentils or vermicelli. And I used harira spices – ginger, cinnamon and turmeric – as a base and then added plenty of cumin and coriander as well as fresh, not ground, ginger for a brighter, zippier flavour profile.

If you’ve been cooking my recipes for a while, you know I lean in HARD to herbs and spices…as a recipe developer, I love how they create complex and layered flavours that make plant-based recipes more exciting. And as a dietitian, I know they are packed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that help to support a healthier body.

You can serve this on its own as a one pot dinner, with some lovely bread on the side, or you can serve it over your favourite whole grain for bigger appetites. Plus, it freezes like a dream so you can batch prep for those days when you are DEFINITELY not cooking to help you avoid the takeout trap.

Love chickpeas as much as I do? I have an INCREDIBLE Spanish spinach and chickpea stew (and lots more legume recipes!) in Plant Magic, my latest plant-based cookbook.

How to make this spiced chickpea stew, step by step

chickpeas, canned tomatoes and kale in bowls
I know it looks like a lot but minus the spices, it’s just 7 ingredients! 

Let’s talk canned versus dried chickpeas. I LOVE the flavour and texture of chickpeas soaked and cooked from scratch…but I always have canned chickpeas in the cupboard because I don’t always have the energy to batch cook chickpeas on the weekend. Canned chickpeas are just as nutritious…but the soaking and cooking have been done for you!

hand chopping kale stems
Don’t throw out those kale stems! Instead, once you’ve chopped up the leaves, finely chop the kale stems…you’ll use them in a second.
hand stirring onion and kale in pot
…cook the kale stems with the onion and ginger so they can soften. Less waste!!

Hot tip: sometimes tomatoes can taste too, um, tomato-y. If that happens to you, try this: you can either add a Β½ teaspoon of sugar to temper it, or try a tiny pinch of baking soda (only at the end of cooking?). Baking soda is alkaline, and neutralizes the acidity of tomatoes…but too much and the chickpeas will turn to mush. I learned this tip from Foodess!

hand shaking spices in pot
cooking the spices in the oiled mixture helps to release more flavour then adding them to water.
hand pouring chickpeas into stew
Once that’s cooked, add the water, tomatoes, BTB and chickpeas and cook away!

This is one of those stews that if you have longer, absolutely let it simmer longer. It’s delicious after 15 minutes, with a fresh, zippy flavour…but if you simmer it for an hour, the flavours deepen and get more complex. So yep, this tastes incredible the next day too!.

hand adding kale to stew
Add the kale at the end so it’s tender, not mushy.
chickpea stew in pot with ladle
This makes a great one-pot meal on its own, or serve with your fave grain. Naturally vegan and gluten free.

As a dietitian, I could not be more in love with beans and lentils for their slow-burn starchy carbohydrates, plant-based protein and incredible amounts of gut-loving fibre. This stew has about 13g protein and 12 grams fibre per serving!

More nourishing chickpea recipes

chickpea stew in pot with ladle

Spiced Tomato Chickpea Stew with Fresh Ginger

4 servings
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 37 minutes
Perfect for meatless monday or any day of the week, this fresh and flavourful spiced chickpea stew has a juicy canned tomato base, rich with fresh ginger, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric. A nourishing one pot plant-based dinner that comes together in 20 minutes of hands on time!
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small bunch kale, leaves and stems separated
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Β½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Vegetarian Chicken concentrate
  • 1 cup water, or swap BTB + water for vegetable broth
  • 2 x 14 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Imperial – Metric

Instructions 

  • Finely chop the kale stems. Chop the kale leaves. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, kale stems and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is glossy and starting to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic, paprika, coriander, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric and stir constantly for one minute.
  • Next, add the tomatoes, water, bouillon concentrate and chickpeas and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, return to medium heat and let it bubble away for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
  • Wilt in the kale leaves, about 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper until it pops (I add about ΒΌ teaspoon)! Serve on its own, with bread on the side or over a cooked whole grain.

Notes

Taste too tomato-y? Either add 1/2 teaspoon of salt or 1/8 tsp of baking soda to help neutralize it.Β 
If you’ve got more time, absolutely let it simmer longer…the flavour is fresh and zippy after 15 minutes of simmering but it continues to deepen and get more complex with 30-60 minutes of simmering. And yep, it tastes incredible the day after. So it’s great as a meal prep for the week!
Cuisine: American, Moroccan
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Author: Desiree Nielsen, RD

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