One Pot Chickpea Tomato Stew
This Chickpea Tomato Stew is loaded with warming spices and smoky flavors then topped with freshly toasted almonds. Easy 30 minutes meal made in one pot.
Filling, satisfying and easy to make. Those are the 3 things I’m always looking for when it comes to quick and easy recipe. This chickpea stew definitely wins in all of these categories.
The chickpeas simmer in a rich spiced tomato sauce inspired by classic Spanish Chickpea and Spinach Stew (Potaje de Garbanzos y Espinacas a la Andaluza) and then topped with freshly toasted almonds before serving. And just so we are all on the same page, dunking some crusty bread into this to soak up the delicious sauce is absolutely necessary.
Why You’ll Love These Stewed Chickpeas
- This meal is budget friendly
- Easy to make in just one pot
- Can be made in under 30 minutes
- Made flavorful with simple ingredients
- The chickpea base is vegan and gluten-free
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chickpeas: To make this dish really quick and easy, I used canned chickpeas, but feel free to use the equivalent amount of freshly cooked chickpeas. If not a fan of chickpeas, you can try this dish with butter beans or cannellini beans.
- Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes: I like to make this all year round, so most often I make this with canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes. When tomatoes are in season, use ripe tomatoes and grate them to make a simple tomato sauce.
- Roasted Bell Pepper: I love the flavor of roasted bell pepper, but if you don’t have a jar of them on hand, you can also dice up some fresh bell pepper and add it in earlier after adding the onions.
- Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen spinach. You can also change it up and use baby kale if you prefer.
- Onion & Garlic: Both are definitely needed to build flavor. Feel free to increase the amount of garlic based on quality and taste preference.
- Vinegar: Ideally, I would recommend Sherry Vinegar, but this also works well with white and red wine vinegar as well.
- Spices: I used a combo of smoked paprika, cumin and coriander.
- Almonds: This dish is topped with toasted almond slices, but if you deal with a nut allergy you can swap the almonds out for some toasted pepitas instead.
- Parsley: Fresh is best.
How to Make Chickpea Tomato Stew
Toast up your sliced almonds in a pan making sure to stir continuously until the almonds are a nice golden color then set aside in a bowl.
To the same pan, add your oil and sauté your onion until translucent. Stir in the garlic, then when fragrant add in the spices and lightly toast and stir until the onions are evenly coated. Add in the roasted pepper and parsley and stir again to coat evenly.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes along with the chickpeas and a splash of the sherry vinegar. Once mixed together, bring to a low simmer and partially cover the pan. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes on the lowest heat setting, then stir in the spinach and allow to continue cooking until the spinach has completely wilted.
To serve, add to a bowl with some crusty bread and top with the toasted almonds and extra minced parsley.
Expert Tips
- If using canned tomatoes, use canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes. They are a variety of tomatoes that have less acidity and a great deal of flavor, which is great when tomatoes are not in season. You can find them in your local super market where other canned tomatoes are sold.
- Don’t skip the wine vinegar. It might seem counterintuitive to add vinegar to this tomato based sauce, but it helps to enhance the flavors in the sauce and helps to better balance the acidity in the dish.
- Feel free to add some heat. If you like spice you can add some red pepper flakes to the pan when sauteing the garlic. Alternatively, you can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper as the stew simmers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make sure to use either fresh ripe tomatoes or canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes for milder acidity. If still too acidic, the sauce can be adjusted with a small amount of sugar. I like to taste the sauce and then add 1-2 teaspoons of organic white sugar to tone things down.
Allow the stew to cool before placing in an airtight container. Once in the fridge, the chickpea and spinach stew will keep for up to 4-5 days.
Yes. If you want to keep the leftovers for longer, allow it to cool completely then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw and reheat in the microwave or on the stove top until warmed through.
How to Serve
Soaking up some of the sauce with some hearty bread is highly recommended. This also pairs really well with some rice or quinoa.
Once plated, don’t forget to top with a sprinkle of the toasted almonds and extra fresh minced parsley.
More Quick Vegan Dinners
- Spicy Miso Pasta
- Vegan Fajitas with Soy Curls
- Orange Tofu
- Quick Sauteed Lentil Bowl
- Chipotle Pinto Bean and Plantain Stew
- Toasted Garlic and Chickpea Orzo
One Pot Chickpea Tomato Stew
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Chickpea Tomato Stew is loaded with warming spices and smoky flavors then topped with freshly toasted almonds. Easy 30 minutes meal made in one pot.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup raw almond slices
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 roasted bell pepper, diced
- 3 tbsp freshly minced parsley
- 1 cup canned San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes or 1 cup grated ripe plum tomatoes
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
- 2 cups spinach
- Bread for serving
Instructions
- Toast up your sliced almonds in a medium sauté pan making sure to stir frequently until the almonds are a nice toasted golden color. Remove the almonds from the pan and set them aside.
- To the same pan, add your oil and sauté your onion with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then when fragrant add in the smoked paprika, cumin, and coriander and lightly toast and stir until the onions are evenly coated.
- Fold in the roasted pepper and parsley into the spiced onion mixture then pour in the crushed tomatoes, chickpeas and sherry vinegar.
- Give everything a good mix, bring to a simmer then partially cover the pan. Allow everything to simmer for 15 minutes on the lowest heat setting, then stir in the spinach and allow to continue cooking until the spinach has completely wilted.
- Adjust seasoning to taste then serve the stew with some crusty bread and top with the toasted almonds and some extra minced parsley.
Notes
If using canned tomatoes, use canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes. They are a variety of tomatoes that have less acidity and a great deal of flavor, which is great when tomatoes are not in season. You can find them in your local super market where other canned tomatoes are sold.
Don’t skip the wine vinegar.
Feel free to add some heat. If you like spice you can add some red pepper flakes to the pan when sauteing the garlic. Alternatively, you can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper as the stew simmers.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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