Chickpea Vegetable Stew

This chickpea vegetable stew is the perfect hearty, one pan meal. It’s packed with fresh vegetables and warming broth to keep you warm with these chilly winter nights. It’s gluten free, dairy free and couldn’t be easier to make.

Why You’ll Love this Soup

• One pot meal. All you need is a large stock pot for this meal to come together.
• Hearty. It’s incredibly hearty with all of the vegetables and chickpeas.
• Easy to make. This chickpea vegetable stew couldn’t be easier to make.
• Perfect for feeding a crowd. This is the perfect meal when feeding the family or guests.
• Great meal prep. It holds well making it a great option for meal prep.
• Comforting. There’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of soup and this is no exception.
• Suitable for most diets and lifestyles. It is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, vegan and can be made paleo/whole30 if you leave out the chickpeas.
• The whole family will love it. It’s truly a recipe the whole family will love.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Extra virgin olive oil. This will be used to sauté the veggies. You can use any neutral oil (avocado or coconut) or butter.
• Chickpeas. These are the protein source is this chickpea vegetable stew. You can swap with great northern beans, butter beans, cannelloni beans, or navy beans.
• Veggies. You will be using carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes and kale. Feel free to add in any other veggies you have on hand.
• Seasonings. This soup will be using a generous amount of spices like oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
• Vegetable stock. This is used as the base of the soup. If you don’t care about keeping the soup plant based you can swap it for chicken bone broth for some added protein.
• Fresh herbs. These add vibrancy to the dish. I used parsley but some fresh rosemary, thyme, etc would be good as well.

How to Make Chickpea Vegetable Stew

Sauté the veggies.

1.Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot on the stove at a medium high heat. Add in garlic, onions, celery, and carrots. Season well with salt and pepper then sauté for about 5-10 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. 

Add in vegetables, chickpeas, seasonings, and broth.

2. Add in tomatoes, chickpeas, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Cook at medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes. 

Add in Kale & Simmer.

3. Stir in the kale and fresh parsley. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 30-35 minutes. 

Adjust seasoning & serve.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with fresh parsley, fresh parmesan and crusty bread.

Expert Tips

• Cook low and slow. The longer you let the chickpea vegetable stew simmer, the more intense the flavor will be.
• Slowly sauté the veggies. By cooking the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery at low heat you are allowing the aromatics to come out.
• To up the protein content. Swap the vegetable broth for chicken bone broth or add in rotisserie chicken.
• Add in pasta. To make the stew even hearty, add in pasta. Simply add pasta, after 20 minutes of simmering, add dried pasta and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
• Use generous amounts of herbs and spices. These are what give the stew such incredible flavor so don’t be bashful.
• Add in more veggies. You can add in whatever veggies you have on hand. Red bell pepper, zucchini, etc would be delicious.
• To save time. Use a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I store chickpea vegetable stew? Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Can I freeze it? Yes, this is ideal for freezing! To freeze, just allow to cool completely and then transfer to freezer containers or freezer safe bags. Store for up to 3 months. To reheat just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat stovetop.
• What should I serve with this stew? I would suggest serving it with some warm, crusty bread and a simple salad like this brussels sprouts and kale salad.