Lebanese Chickpea Stew
One of my favorite chickpea recipes is this vibrant and simple Lebanese Chickpea Stew, a medley of chickpeas with roasted red peppers and za'atar spice. It comes together so quickly and makes a delicious dinner with either crusty bread or steamed rice.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Stew
Cuisine: Lebanese, Vegan
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 282kcal
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas (canned is fine too. If starting with dried chickpeas use 1 cup of chickpeas and cook until tender, Be sure to drain out any liquid).
- 2-3 heaping teaspoons za'atar (add 2 teaspoons first and add more as needed)
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 roasted bell pepper (chopped in small, bite-size pieces)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
Place garlic cloves and cumin seeds in mortar or in a food processor. Crush into a coarse paste.
Place olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven along with the crushed garlic and cumin. Turn heat to medium low and saute until the garlic and cumin are very aromatic, about a minute.
Add the tomato paste, paprika and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir to mix. Continue to saute for a couple of minutes.
Add the chickpeas to the pot along with the za'atar, roasted red peppers and bay leaves. Stir to mix.
Add 2 cups water to the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pot and cook 10 minutes for the flavors to merge and for the stew to thicken. Remove the lid in the last two minutes of cooking. I like crushing some of the chickpeas with the ladle to help thicken the stew.
Add salt to taste, stir in the parsley and turn off heat. Serve the chickpea stew hot or warm.
Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Potassium: 455mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 693IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 6mg