Braised chickpea stew

If you’re looking for a simple yet nutrient-rich vegetarian meal, this is the one! In the Mediterranean diet, legumes like chickpeas are an everyday food, and I love them for their versatility. They are also a great source of protein, and fibre and provide a good hit of antioxidants too, so they’re well worth including in your diet.

This stew is a perfect meal to cook in bulk and save to eat throughout the week, the flavour will only continue to develop over time. My favourite way to serve this is with feta and some toasted wholegrain bread, but feel free to leave out the cheese for a vegan version.

Serves: 3 | Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 small shallots (or 1 small brown onion)
2 small carrots
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp smoked sweet paprika
Pinch of salt and pepper
Red chilli flakes to taste
1 carton (13 oz/370g) tomato purée/sauce 
1 tsp brown sugar 
1 cup water
1 can (15.5 oz/440g) chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 cup frozen peas
1 handful of fresh parsley

Method:

• Dice the shallots and carrots

• Over medium heat sauté the shallots and carrot until shallots browned (3-4 mins)

• Add the garlic, tomato paste, spices and sauté for 1 minute, stirring as it cooks 

• Add the tomato sauce, water and sugar

• Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes 

• Once the sauce has cooked down, add in the frozen peas and chickpeas, and cook for a further 15 minutes (add more water if needed - 1/4 cup at a time)

• Add the chopped parsley in the last 5 minutes of cooking 

• Serve with feta cheese and bread

Notes:

• If your sauce is too thick while cooking the chickpeas you can add 1/4 cup extra water or as needed, and then simmer.

• This dish will keep up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container