One of my keys to fast and tasty weeknight meals: eating some kind of canned tomato-based situation over a starch at least once a week. This seven spice chickpea stew is exactly that. Seven pantry spices, a handful of simple ingredients, and a thick, slightly creamy tomato base that’s tangy and deeply flavored. It comes together in about 40 minutes on the stove. Serve it over millet polenta or brown rice, and have my no-knead whole wheat bread on the side to soak up every bit of the saucy base.
The quality of the tomatoes and the freshness of your spices matter a lot here. There are so few ingredients that each one is doing its own kind of heavy lifting. Good canned tomatoes and a fresh spice blend will make a noticeable difference.
When I was developing this recipe, I found that light coconut milk worked better than full-fat in this combination. Typically I’m all for the full-fat version, but found it too strong here. The light coconut milk lets the tomato and spices come through better. That said, one reader used a full can of full-fat coconut milk with great results. So if you love a richer, creamier stew, go for it.
When I reheated leftovers for dinner the next night, I added about a cup of chopped Swiss chard straight into the pot. It wilted right in and made the whole thing feel a bit more substantial. Worth doing if you have some greens on hand!
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Seven Spice Chickpea Stew with Tomatoes and Coconut
Ingredients
Spice Blend
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Stew
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (could also use olive oil)
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- spice blend (see above)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup jarred/canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup chopped flat leaf parsley or cilantro (or a combination)
Notes
- This stew has very few ingredients, so it’s ideal to use good quality tomatoes and fresh spices.
- I made this during the day for the purpose of photographing/sharing it here, but when I reheated it for dinner, I added about 1 cup of chopped Swiss chard for an extra hit of greens.
Instructions
- Make the spice blend. In a bowl, combine the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, dried oregano, chili flakes, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a deep cast iron skillet or a small soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is lightly shimmering, add the onions to the pan. Cook and stir the onions until translucent and quite soft, about 5-6 minutes. You want the onions to be sizzling gently, so lower the heat if necessary.
- Add the spice blend to the skillet and stir. Once the spices are quite fragrant and fully integrated with the onions (about 1 minute), add the tomato paste, mashing it with the back of your spoon into the spices and oil. Add the garlic and chickpeas and stir the mixture for 30 seconds.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes to the pan and stir, using the back of your spoon to scrape up any brown bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the coconut milk to the skillet and season the stew with salt and pepper.
- Bring the seven spice chickpea stew to a boil, and then lower the heat to a light simmer. Cook the stew for about 10-15 minutes, or until the flavours have melded to your liking. Garnish the top of the stew with the chopped parsley/cilantro. Serve stew hot with polenta, brown rice or any other accompaniment you like.
*This post was created in partnership with Muir Glen Organic. All opinions/endorsements are my own. Thanks for supporting!
I LOVE this recipe ♥️ beautifully balanced, complex, vibrant flavour. I doubled the spices & balsamic, added a carrot, used a whole
Can coconut milk and made it with half a bunch of kale & white navy beans. Thank you so much