This is one of those recipes that shows up on our table constantly, never quite the same way twice. The first time I had something like it was at a restaurant. I read “sweet potatoes, warm spices, smoky tomatoes, wilted greens” on the menu and was sold immediately. Served with the most fluffy and fragrant purple rice, I was in vegan heaven! This is my home version, built around fire roasted crushed tomatoes and a heavy hand with the cinnamon. I love it so much that I included a variation in my cookbook.
The spice and onion base is where this stew begins its journey to flavor depth. I cook them down low and slow until the onions practically melt into the oil and the raw edge of the spices is completely gone. It takes patience but it’s not fussy. Just keep the heat low and stir occasionally. The cinnamon is the best, most unexpected, part!
Chopped Medjool dates go in with the carrots and sweet potato. They dissolve into the broth as everything simmers, adding a pleasant sweetness that rounds out the spice without making the stew taste sweet. Lemon zest stirred in at the end brightens the whole thing up. For such a simple recipe, the end result really does feel dinner party-appropriate.
This stew is flexible too. The base works with almost any combination of vegetables you have around, and it’s one of those recipes that tastes better the next day. One reader mentioned loving the leftovers cold with a drizzle of balsamic. I honestly think that sounds pretty great.
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Vegetable and Chickpea Stew with Warm Spices (Vegan)
Ingredients
Stew
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, small dice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable stock, plus extra
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups chopped greens of choice (kale, spinach, collards etc)
To Serve
- chopped flat leaf parsley or cilantro
- finely grated lemon zest
- cooked grain of choice (such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, or couscous)
Notes
- Cook the onions and spices low and slow until the onions are really soft and the raw edge of the spice is gone — this is what gives the stew its depth. Lower the heat if anything starts browning too fast.
- Olive oil works perfectly in place of coconut oil–I do this swap all the time.
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and lower heat until they are sizzling kind of quietly. Once the onions are a bit soft and translucent, add the cinnamon, cumin, coriander and chili flakes. Slowly sauté and stir this mix until the onions are really, really soft, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the chopped dates, carrots and sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables in the spices and oil. Add the tomatoes and stir. Add the vegetable stock. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer until the sweet potatoes are just tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add the chopped yellow peppers and chickpeas and stir the soup. Season the whole thing again with salt and pepper. Simmer until the yellow peppers are tender and the sweet potatoes are quite soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the greens to the pot (and more stock if necessary) and cook for 1 minute, or until just-wilted. Check the soup for seasoning and serve it hot with cooked grains, drizzles of olive oil, lemon zest and chopped herbs.
Can I use olive oil instead of coconut oil? I try to avoid coconut for heart health.
Yes absolutely!
-L
Loved it! Added Calabrian chiles and used Sunmaid dates as I couldn’t find fresh.
Love this recipe! I garnished with some walnuts too for a little crunch, but SO good
Made this for dinner tonight and it is Delicious! Thank you for a great and easy recipe.
This stew is delicious! I used raisins instead of dates and used freshly ground coriander.
Add dried apricot or cranraisins instead of dates.
Loved this easy balanced recipe
what’s the nutrition information, calorie and potassium…
Will make tonight and post tomorrow.
Super tasty! I combined this recipe with a recipe from Kris Carr’s “Crazy sexy kitchen” by adding some artichoke hearts and raisins as well! Yumm (and, lunches/dinners for a good portion of the week, yay.)
I just wanted to come on here and say this is my favorite recipe of all time. It’s easy to make, so healthy, and sooo delicious. I have made it countless times and will continue to! This might sound weird but I love eating the leftovers cold with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Thank you for this recipe!
Wow! I made this yesterday and am eating leftovers today. Amazing! Love the flavors and how hearty it is. Quick and easy to make and my house smelled wonderful while cooking. Already thinking about making it again for friends. Thank you!
Made tonight. Added mushrooms. Left out greens (just didn’t have any). Used red pepper instead of chili flakes – again, just what I had. It was amazing!!! I will make again. Being gluten free and pescatarian, I miss soup/stew so much.
This stew is so delicious! It fills the entire house with a beutiful spicy aroma. My carnivorous husband couldn’t get enough!
I’ll be making this dish again for a potluck in a couple of days. May add beans.
Thank you for these inspired easy to follow recipes!
Wow! I just tasted this and I’m blown away at how good it is! We are just starting our vegetarian journey (not that I cooked meat before since we couldn’t afford it and I don’t like it) and it is inspiring to try such an amazing yet affordable dish.
So delicious! I love this recipe so much I’ve made it twice in the last week and both times used different combinations of veggies on top of the ones you list (eggplant, cauliflower, zucchini, shallots, cabbage, raisins instead of dates…). I also added about 1/4 tsp. tumeric and 1/4 tsp paprika, some extra cumin and harissa paste for spice, and adjusted/added spices at the end depending on how much broth I used. I followed the recipe loosely but was pretty lazy about it aside from cooking the spices with the onions and oil and mostly just let it cook long enough so that all the veggies were soft. Seems like you can’t mess it up! This is going to be a staple at our house from now on!