Looking for a stew packed with protein but still suitable for vegetarians and vegans? Look no further as this vegan chickpea spinach tomato stew is packed with plant-protein and a ton of flavours. It’s a vegan stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal, perfect to warm you up this fall and ideal for vegans and non-vegans alike!
A few years ago, on a chilly end-of-summer evening, my mother in law prepared this simple chickpea stew for the family. As simple as this dish was, it was far from it in terms of flavour and texture. A few scoops of this hearty vegan stew warmed me up instantly and comforted me the way those more traditional stick-to-your-ribs kind of meals do. I’m talking beef stew, mac n’ cheese, and every other comfort food – that also happen to not be vegan-friendly. This chickpea stew has quickly become one of my favourite vegan dishes to prepare for the family. The simplicity of this dish makes it so delicious – the tangy tomatoes, nutty chickpeas, the addition of healthy greens, and not to mention the earthy spices. This is not a swanky dish by any means, but it’s perfect for the cold weather and so flavourful and satisfying. The best part is it’s relatively cheap to prepare and can feed the family or dinner guests without breaking the bank.
There’s a few ways you can go about preparing this meal – either boiling dried chickpeas beforehand then adding to cooked sauce (homemade or not) heating through for 5-10 minutes before serving. Or you can grab a jar of canned and drained chickpeas and add directly to your sauce. The result is the same – a chunky, hearty stew however, I can vouch for the fact that dried cooked chickpeas are so much more flavourful and have such a better texture than the canned variety. On that note, the flexibility of this dish means that when you are pressed for time you can still whip up this healthy recipe in under 30 minutes on a busy weeknight, or you can prepare a large batch on the weekend and store portions in the freezer for quick evening meals.
If you try this recipe (and love it!) be sure to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram with #bitesforfoodies so I can see your creation!
Very simple and healthy. Love it!
I love recipes that are so easy to make…they’re foolproof! 😉
I have a few bags of chickpeas that I now have a recipe for. Yay! As far as a mom-in-law, mine makes the best chicken broccoli casserole. It is quite warming to the taste buds
We do Meat Free Fridays in my house and this looks like a really good dish for that. I love having the option too to serve some vegan dishes to my friends when they come over for a a dinner party. It really sounds delicious.
OH yum! We love making stews when it is chilly out. This is a great recipe that I think my husband and I would love. I really like Chickpeas! Not sure if my kids would enjoy it though. Worth a try though to get them to eat some chickpeas and spinach!
I can’t eat red meat and i have a hard time finding things I like. I am so sick of chicken and fish. This looks amazing and for once i like everything in the recipe. Love finding good recipes that I don’t have to modify.
That looks like a great meal for a Meatless Monday but one that even my meat eating hubby would absolutely love. I like that it is filling and looks delicious. Keep up the great recipes, I will have a months worth in no time.
My best friend is a vegetarian and this recipe would be something she’d totally love. In fact, she’s the only vegetarian within our group of friends. So we would all appreciate this recipe just to offer her some variety!
I’m always looking for new tasty, quick and easy plant-based meals. This recipe is perfect for those chilly nights when you don’t feel like putting too much effort into dinner. Thanks for sharing, cant wait to try!