A smoky, vibrant, delicious Lebanese Chickpea Stew flavored with the warmth of za’atar is what I have for you today.
This is a weeknight recipe, especially if you’re using canned chickpeas, like I did. There is a minimum of chopping required, lots of flavor added by the already-roasted red bell peppers and rich tomato paste, and the je ne sais quoi of the za’atar which is an herb and spice mix I often turn to when I want lots of flavor for little effort.
Lebanese food is not only extremely tasty, but it often uses a rich complement of vegetables and beans which makes it really healthy. Even meat dishes often contain beans or grains. And many dishes, as flavorful they are, can also be uncomplicated to make, requiring a bare minimum of spices and herbs that combine skilfully to give you loads of flavor and oomph.
It’s almost impossible to describe the incredible fragrance that wafted through the kitchen and the house as I made this stew. Desi walked in the door sniffing the air, and wolfed down a bowl of rice topped with the stew. “It’s very good,” he proclaimed.
I made this Lebanese Chickpea Stew in my new favorite casserole: a gorgeous but hardy Frieling 9 1/2-inch, four-quart Black Cube Casserole. And Frieling is giving away one of these casseroles to a lucky reader of Holy Cow!
I’ve been cooking a few of my everyday dishes in this casserole for a couple of weeks now, and it has stood up beautifully to the workout I’ve put it through each time. For instance, it did a great job gently browning (without burning) the cumin and garlic paste that first goes into the pot for this recipe, using just a minimum of oil. And then it beautifully sauteed the thick tomato paste I added to that cumin-garlic mixture. If you are someone who water-sautes or dry-sautes most dishes, this pot would be perfect for you.
What I really love about this casserole is the size. It is not as bulky as the other large pots in my kitchen that I have to pull out when I am cooking a family-sized curry or biryani or stew. It’s compact and sits beautifully on the stovetop without crowding it. And it has a lovely glass lid with a rubber seal that sits snugly over the pan and locks tight, making it perfect for slow-cooking dishes like biryani where you want the food to steam inside without losing a lot of the moisture. In fact, the first dish I made in it was a biryani and it turned out incredibly flavorful.
The casserole (a $164.95 value) is also oven-safe up to 500 degrees F, dishwasher safe (perfect for a lazy lug like me who hates to do dishes), and 100 percent scratch-resistant. You can find more information about their products on Frieling’s social media pages.
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas drained
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2-3 tsp za'atar
- 2 leaves bay
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp heaping tomato paste
- 1 inch large roasted bell pepper . Chop into 1/2- pieces. I used the jarred kind
- 2 tsp olive oil or avocado oil or any vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
- 2-4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- With a mortar or pestle, or in a food processor, crush the cumin and the garlic together until you have a very coarse paste.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan.
- Add the cumin and garlic mixture and saute a minute or so until it turns fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and paprika. Saute, stirring frequently, for about two more minutes.
- Add the chickpeas and stir to mix. Add four cups of water, the za'atar, bay leaves and the roasted red pepper. Mix well.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat until it boils gently, and cook for 15 minutes. I like to mash some of the chickpeas with the back of the ladle to thicken the stew slightly.
- Add salt to taste and stir in the parsley. Turn off the heat.
- Serve hot. This is perfect with rice, brown or white. You can also serve with some crusty bread, or some whole wheat pita bread.
**
More Lebanese deliciousness from the archives:
One-Pot Mujadara with Leeks and Kale
Roasted Eggplant Soup with Za’atar
And here’s my uber-delicious Moroccan Chickpea Stew packed with veggies:
I shared your post on Pinterest ! I wpuld cook whatever would fit in this pan. I think it would be my “go to” pan when it came to cooking. I would love to have this wonderful cookware.
Love your blog and just shared your post on Twitter for a chance to win the giveaway! Great posts keep the great cooking up:)
Oops forgot to say, I would cook my yummy 3 bean chili since it’s still cold in April here in the northeast!
I shared the post on Twitter! There are so many things that I’d love to make– my SO’s vegan seitan xacuti, black pepper kootu, bisibelabath, eggplant caponata, vegan mushroom risotto (with lots of cashew cheese), among other things! 🙂
Also, do you have a brand of zatar that you swear by? I’ve been buying mine off of Amazon, and it’s good but not great.
I shared this on Pintrest and that giveaway looks like a dream
I shared this post on Pinterest! I love your blog and have yet to try one of your recipes and not love it. The first thing I would make in this lovely pan would undoubtedly be a dal….my recent favorite is a rich, buttery moong dal with ghee, turmeric, and green chilis. I can’t wait! Thank you for blogging.
I shared this on Pinterest ! I would cook Tomato Tortellini Soup or just about anything really !
I shared on Twitter! Would make this chickpea stew; looks delicious! Thanks!
Aside from posting on pinterest, i am going to make it this weekend. For the casserole,I would make a vegan kitchardi!
I shared your post on Facebook becuase I ADORE chickpeas, eggplant, and have made several of your recipes. Very easy to make and delicious. I would so enjoy the Frieling casserole dish becuase it’s versatile and easy to clean. It would be a heavily used tool! Thank you for all the great recipes!
I posted on Twitter and would first make this chickpea stew or the African Peanut Stew with Eggplant and Okra. Yum!
This looks so yummy for a chilly spring evening! I shared this on Facebook. Of course I would try this chickpea recipe if I had a casserole dish …but I second Preeya’s request for a za’atar recommendation.
I ended up buying za’atar online, and this is my second time making this stew. It’s soooo easy and good! Will enjoy it with cornbread this time. Thanks, Vaishali.
I shared on pinterest. I would make some vegan mushroom pasta casserole in this pan!
I shared on Facebook. Would love to try your mujadara with leeks and kale in the casserole!
Hi – Pinned it. This recipe sounds delish! Think the first meal I’d make is one of our favorites, Black Bean & Mushroom soup (loaded with goodies) then topped lime cream, sliced avocado & scallions/jalapeno.
I shared this with Pinterest. I would make this stew which looks delicious and vegan chili!
Shared on Facebook. I would make vegan grape leaves in this pot- it would be perfect for them!
I can’t wait to make this. As for the casserole, I would like to make an eggplant dish that would carmelize on the edges…yum!
I shared on pinterest …and the first thing I would make is Chicken Florentine fettuccine. Thanks! Your recipe sounds delicious, and looks pretty too!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/225461525073506211/
Just pinned this to my One Pot Meals Pinterest board. I think I have all the ingredients for this already: bought the za’atar for your eggplant soup.
I don’t have any casserole dishes that are oven safe, I’d love to try a baked pasta dish where I use the same dish on the stove for the sauce and move it to the oven with a nice crumb topping. I think the shape will also lend itself to some simple artisan shaped breads.
I shared this on Pinterest. Thanks for offering the giveaway! I never met a chickpea that I didn’t like, so I guess I would try this Lebanese Chickpea Stew…it looks fabulous!
I shared this on Pinterest and I think I would have to well if I haven’t made it already, make this recipe, or one pot paella.
Hi Vaishali, I love your blog and follow it religiously 🙂
I have shared this recipe on pinterest and I would make this exact recipe whether or not I win the this pot!! This looks so yummy 🙂
This stew looks so warming and comforting!! And I love trying anything from other cultures 🙂
I shared this with all my students. Would love to cook everything from my garden in this pot!
I shared it on twitter. I will making Vangibaath in it.
Pinned it on Pinterest.
I’d try some old-school dishes, veganizing casserole-type dishes like beef stew/beef bourguignon and onion soup in the casserole dish. And of course, biryani—which I’ve never made in the oven (just on the range).
I shared this on Facebook. This stew looks amazing! I would make this chickpea stew in the pot, and perhaps some spicy red lentil soup.
I shared on Twitter and would make Jambalaya with this piece.
I shared on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/63965257186613088/. I’d make so many soups in it!
I shared on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/pin/63965257186613088/. I’d cook all of my soups in it!
I posted this on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/corrine.greenfield/posts/1854803604747029 and I’d use this pot for everything. Casseroles, soups, etc. =)
Shared on Twitter – I would make an amazing veggie curry dish in this.
Posted on twitter.. https://twitter.com/eTuesdays/status/718936444488851461.. I’d be making Pork Stew, my mother’s recipe..
Hi Vaishali. I shared this on Pinterest. It was more about learning to use Pinterest than entering the Giveaway, haha! So used this opportunity. Yeah, I live under a rock ;). I am not on any social media so haven’t had the inclination to learn. I have chucked away the few non-stick pans I had. So, have been putting off trying to make wheat halwa (one of my favorite Indian sweets) for which a non-stick pan would help a novice like me making cooking and cleaning up easy.
Just shared this on Facebook. This recipe looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. That pan looks awesome and would probably replace this big heavy pan that I currently use for all my soups and stews. Love trying out different recipes and you have some awesome recipes. I still remember a mushroom biryani recipe of yours from a few years ago!
I pinned this recipe. If I were the lucky winner of the Frieling pan, the first thing I would make in it is this recipe followed quickly by your recipe for curry with potatoes and peas – a favorite at our house!
What a flavorful stew you got there Vaishali. Looks so comforting and hearty in this extremely chilly spring weather (???). Pinned the post 🙂 love that casserole pot.
Vaishali just shared on my Facebook page I know its the USA only but I am going to visit my Mom in two weeks, so if I am lucky enough to win, you can send it to her and I will bring it back with me. I will definitely have room in my suitcase! I love your recipes – they always work and always taste great!
I shared on twitter and facebook. I am so happy to have found your recipes. After my husband’s heart surgery we have completely changed our diets, and can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned to yours. Thank you so much.
I shared your recipe on twitter. Since my husband’s heart surgery we have completely changed our diet. Can’t tell you how many times I have relied on yours. Thank you so much.
What a fantastic recipe. I made this over the weekend and it was a big hit. I am quite new to cooking but this was fairly easy and delicious. Thanks again and keep up the great work.
I’d love to use this casserole pot to cook a new recipe like this one here. I think it’d also work really well for the various stew-type dishes I like to make, especially vegan chili.
I shared this post on Pinterest here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/139822763409530557/
Vaishali, first of all, want to thank you for all the wonderful gluten free recipes! I have shared your post on Pinterest. I will use the pot to make biriyani, chole, a fabulous persian soup and a host of other recipes which need a pan that goes from stove top to oven.
Hi Vaishali, I have been wanting to try Zatar spices and now I am planning to try this stew, looks so good and vibrant! I’d love to use the casserole pot for one-pot dishes like briyanis, bisibelebaths, and other similar rice dishes, upma, pongal, slow-cooking soups. I have shared this post on my Facebook wall at
https://www.facebook.com/gita.jaishankar
I posted this giveaway on Pinterest (the giveaway info is below the picture)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/138204282293583743/
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
Your recipes are outstanding. I have made 5 different dishes from your blog and have to say they have all been delicious. You make starting a vegetarian diet so much more easier. I appreciate you and your exquisite contribution to taste buds everywhere
Shared here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/303570831114276604/
I’d make a curried soup in it!
(sorry if this is a double post, having flash issues!)
Just discovered your blog! Love your recipes. I shared this on Twitter and Pinterest. The casserole would be a welcome addition as I begin a new life, hopefully filled with good cooking and lots of love.
I shared your post of Facebook! I would definitely use the casserole dish to make baked pasta and one pot beans and rice!
Shared on FB. I’d cook this recipe, of course!