My family’s favorite chickpea stew is a hearty vegan stew, loaded with roasted cauliflowers, carrots, and tomatoes. The warm Mediterranean spice mixture deeply flavors this comforting vegan chickpea stew with notes of cumin, cinnamon and turmeric!
Serve it on top of quick-cooked couscous, or rice. And if nothing else, grab your favorite crusty bread to sop up all the goodness! Be sure to read through for my step-by-step tutorial and important tips.
Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew
Cauliflower and chickpea stew is the type of thing North African grandmas would throw in a clay pot and bake for hours until each vegetable is melting with flavor and goodness.
Not to worry! Today’s chickpea stew recipe takes just over an hour start-to-finish, and the result is just as hearty, delicious, and deeply flavored.
The gist: protein-packed chickpeas are combined with quick-roasted cauliflower, sweet carrots, and tomatoes, and flavored with a bold Mediterranean spice mixture of turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, sweet paprika and a hint of cardamom.
I know the spice combination has you thinking warm, deeply-flavored Moroccan chickpea stew, something like a tagine–you’re on the right track!
My family loves Moroccan lamb stew, but this vegan chickpea stew is a great way to enjoy the comfort of these warm flavors even in the absence of meat.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this chickpea stew recipe
– Spice Mixture: a bold, and warm combination of ground turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, sweet paprika and a hint of cardamom. I like to combine the spices together in a bowl before applying to my veggies and stew, this way, the flavors are distributed evenly. (Spices are available at our online shop here.)
– Vegetables: cauliflower and sweet carrots are the star hearty veggies in this stew. To get a head-start, and to coax out the natural sweetness of carrots and cauliflower, they’re roasted on high heat for about 25 minutes or so (after taking on a bit of the spice mixture.) Onions and garlic come in later to kick-start the stew.
– Chickpeas: you can absolutely use canned chickpeas here to save time. They’re tasty and loaded with nutrition. Just rinse and drain them well before using. (I’m never out of canned chickpeas because, outside of hummus, there are so many ways to use them!)
– Tomatoes: a good amount of chunky canned tomatoes is what gives this stew the liquid it needs, while adding umami and depth.
– Garnish: to finish this beautiful stew, a sprinkle of fresh parsley and some toasted nuts (either slivered almonds or pine nuts will work, and you can toast them stove-top with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.) The nuts are optional, but they due add texture and a welcomed nutty flavor.
How to Make Chickpea Stew: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Roast Cauliflower and Carrots
Crank up the oven heat to 475 degrees F. Toss your cauliflower and carrot pieces with salt, pepper, and about more than half of spice mixture ( turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, sweet paprika and a hint of cardamom.) A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (I used Private Reserve EVOO) will help you in making sure the veggies are well-coated with the seasonings.
Be sure to spread the cauliflower and carrots well on your lightly-oiled sheet pan. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the veggies have softened and gained some color. (It’s okay if they still have some bite to them, there is more cooking yet.)
Step 2: Saute onions and garlic to start building your stew
Grab a nice large Dutch oven like this one (affiliate link). Heat up a little extra virgin olive oil till shimmering but not smoking. Saute onions for a brief 3 minutes, then add garlic and the remainder of the spice mixture. Stir for a couple minutes till nice and fragrant.
Step 3: Combine remaining stew ingredients with roasted vegetables & cook
Now add the chickpeas and canned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the roasted cauliflower and carrots.
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover part-way (just allow a bit of room for the stew to breath) and cook for another 20 minutes or.
Be sure to check the stew, stir occasionally, and add a little water if needed.
Step 4: Garnish and Serve!
Remove from the heat and transfer to serving bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and the toasted nuts.
What to Serve Along?
This chickpea stew makes a great vegetarian entree. And as with many soups and stews, you don’t need to add much else next to it. But it’s great served over quick-cooked couscous or Lebanese rice. Or grab pita or your favorite crusty bread to sop up all the goodness.
To start the meal, try a bright salad like Shriazi salad or fattoush.
Can you freeze chickpea stew?
This recipe makes enough to a small crowd of 6 or so. It will last well packed in a tight-lid container and refrigerated for 4 days or so.
And because there is no cream involved here, you can easily freeze leftover cooked chickpea stew. Be sure the stew is completely cooled before freezing in freezer-safe containers.
More one-p recipes to try:
Braised Eggplant and Chickpeas
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Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves up to 6
Description
My family’s favorite chickpea stew is loaded with beautiful roasted cauliflowers, carrots, and tomatoes. The warm Mediterranean spice mixture, including turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and paprika deeply flavors this comforting vegan chickpea stew.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Sweet paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ground green cardamom
- 1 whole head cauliflower, divided into small florets
- 5 medium-sized bulk carrots, peeled, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
- Salt and pepper
- Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 14-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes with its juice
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves, stems removed, roughly chopped
- Toasted slivered almonds (optional)
- Toasted pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the spices.
- Place the cauliflower florets and carrot pieces on a large lightly oiled baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Add a little more than 1/2 of the spice mixture. Drizzle generously with olive oil, then toss to make sure the spices evenly coat the cauliflower and carrots.
- Bake in the 475 degrees F heated-oven for 20 minutes or until the carrots and cauliflower soften and gain some color. Remove from the heat and set aside for now. Turn the oven off.
- In a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions and saute for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and the remaining spices. Cook on medium-high for 2-3 more minutes, stirring constantly.
- Now add the chickpeas and canned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the roasted cauliflower and carrots. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover part-way and cook for another 20 minutes. Be sure to check the stew, stir occasionally, and add a little water if needed.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to serving bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and the toasted nuts (optional.) Enjoy hot over some quick-cooked couscous or with a side of warm pita bread.
Notes
- How to Serve this chickpea stew? This chickpea stew goes very well on top of quick-cooked couscous or Lebanese Rice. If nothing else, grab a piece of warm pita or some good crusty bread to sop up all the goodness.
- Leftovers? This recipe makes enough to a small crowd of 6 or so. It will last well packed in a tight-lid container and refrigerated for 4 days or so. And because there is no cream involved here, you can easily freeze leftover cooked chickpea stew. Be sure the stew is completely cooled before freezing in freezer-safe containers.
- Visit Our Online Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil and all-natural spices including turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, sweet paprika and cardamom.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2016 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers’ benefit.
OH Suzy…you are such a celebrity here in our home…every time the grandkids come over and I say we are having a Suzy K recipe..they jump for joy and scream !!??…I love it…this recipe is wonderful..we all loved this comfort stew during this cold winter day…it’s raining here and it is the perfect meal to have on day like this…served it with warm pita bread ..simply wonderful…thank you for your delicious recipes.
Cooking away in Fresno
Cyndikay
Cyndikay, what a kind note! Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad your family’s been enjoying the recipes. XOXO
This was great! I added some chicken stock so it was a little more soup-like than the thick stew. Everyone loved it! Thanks!
Wonderful, Fan! Thank you for sharing.
IT is cooking now and smells wonderful, can’t wait to serve it tonight!
Wonderful, Eve! I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Really great, foolproof recipe. Also freezes well. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world!
Thanks so much for sharing, Carolyn! Yes, we love to freeze this one.
I made this tonight, along with the Lebanese rice. It’s fantastic, a true keeper. I’ll be making this regularly. It’s quite spicy – towards the limit of our tolerance but not quite reaching it. We served with some yogurt. Also added yellow squash and eggplant from our garden to the stew, because if we grow it, we might as well eat it!
Thank you for sharing, Richard! Glad to hear it!
Great recipe. I’m reducing my meat intake at the minute so a big, punchy, veg stew is a great help. My fourth version of this is on the stove at the minute and I’m starting to go off piste a bit but it’s a sensational base. Really appreciate the effort.
Wonderful, Dan! So glad you’re enjoying this stew. we love all the flavors!
Hahah *delish* not relish!!
Loved it.. so good, used a red onion for the ‘sweet’ onion- hope that’s what you meant. Made life a bit easier for myself with 2 snaplok containers.. put cauliflower & carrots in one with oil do a good rollick around then 2nd container sprinkle spices & repeat the rumble. Onto the tray then into the oven. Don’t want to lose any of the beautiful spice!
Thankyou for the relish recipe:)
That’s awesome, Carole! thank you for giving it a try and for sharing your feedback!
I made this today for dinner for my adult son and me. WOW, this is unbelievable! My son can’t say enough great things about it. I am absolutely thrilled with the result! So flavorful and healthy. I chose to put cilantro on top instead of parsley. Otherwise, made it exactly as you posted. This one’s a keeper along with so many of your other recipes. THANK YOU, SUZY!!!
I was curious to know if using broccoli in place of cauliflower in this recipe would work. What do you think? It’s what I have on hand.
Hi Lisa! I haven’t tried broccoli in this particular recipe. The spices work really well with cauliflower…but it might just work!
In step 6, what exactly are the beans and tomatoes boiling in? You never added any fluid, just oil.
Hi Edward, we add a full 28-oz can of diced tomatoes with its juices. And as noted, to watch and add a little water if you feel it’s needed. Hope this answers the question 🙂
Hi Can this be frozen?
Hi, Susan. I assume you’re asking if you can freeze leftovers? Yes…you can freeze in a tight lid container.
This was delicious! Thank you for sharing! I added about 1/3 cup of dried currents at the end for a little extra sweetness.
Wonderful! Thanks for giving it a try. Great idea to add currents.
Awesome dish!!!!! The whole house smells “delish” as my youngest would say. I tweaked it a bit by adding chopped celery as well and tomato sauce. Super yummy!!!
April, thank you so much for giving this a try! Love that you tweaked the recipe and made it your own. It’s really a simple stew, but so good!
Do you have directions on how to do this in an Insta Pot?
Hi Carrie-Lynn, I do not own an Insta Pot myself at this point, so I wouldn’t want to steer you wrong. But perhaps google something like “vegetable stew in insta pot,” and see if maybe the directions might make sense to adapt for this recipe.
OMG, I made this dish for dinner tonight for my husband and I and four friends. It was wonderful, everyone loved it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Pearl, that’s awesome! Thank you so much for sharing!!!