Hearty Chickpea Vegetable Stew (Printable)

Plant-based Mediterranean stew with chickpeas, vibrant vegetables, and aromatic spices for gut health support.

# What You Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, 14 oz, 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 (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
10 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
11 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin 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

# How To Make It:

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, sliced celery, and diced red bell pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Add ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground turmeric, ground 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 to develop flavors.
06 - Add diced zucchini and cook for another 7 minutes until just tender.
07 - Stir in fresh spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Remove bay leaf.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
09 - Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's genuinely one of those meals that feels indulgent while secretly being exactly what your body needs.
  • The spice blend creates this warm, complex flavor that tastes like you've been cooking all day when it's really just 50 minutes of actual time.
  • Everything softens into this beautiful, creamy texture without a drop of cream—just whole ingredients doing their thing.
02 -
  • The difference between a stew that tastes like separate vegetables and one that tastes unified is that first five-minute simmer with the spices—don't rush it or skip it.
  • If you add the spinach too early, it completely disappears and you lose that fresh pop at the end; save it for the absolute last moment.
03 -
  • Keep that bay leaf the whole time—it doesn't add an obvious flavor, but without it, the stew tastes less rounded and complete.
  • If you're using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them thoroughly; the canning liquid can make the broth cloudy and slightly off in flavor.
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