Summer Chickpea Stew

One of my favorite summertime dishes? This one.

I call it “chickpea stew.” It’s a mixture of in-season summer vegetables paired with delicious cumin and coriander spices and chickpeas. It’s easy to pull together, satisfying to eat, and this recipe makes enough to reheat for another lunch and dinner. Who would want more from a dish?

I made a batch of chickpea stew to celebrate our dear friend Kathy’s birthday. This particular blend contained yellow and green zucchini, sweet corn, carrots, and onions.

I’ll typically add whatever I have on hand to this dish – sometimes that includes broccoli, or just carrots and chickpeas. Before I developed a slight aversion to nightshade plants (pepper, tomato, potatoes, eggplant), I would include any variety of those items.

My favorite part of this dish – these carrots from Colchester. Not only do they taste sweet and crisp, they’re multicolored–so fun!

I love setting the table for small dinner dates – especially when I get to include flowers from our homestead in the mix! This is an artichoke flower – who knew they were electric purple?

Fit for Life Chickpea Stew 
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes

You will need:
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp. butter or 1 tbsp. olive oil
4-6 medium-sized carrots, diced or sliced
2 medium zucchini, de-seeded and diced
1 ear corn, cooked and kernels off (you could also use a can of corn)
16 oz. chickpeas, soaked (if you use them from a can they are already soaked)
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. cumin cumin
1 c. chicken or vegetable broth, warmed
2 tbsp. tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Add butter (or olive oil), onions, and carrots to a deep pan. Cook until onions start to brown, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add zucchini, chickpeas, and corn, cook for another 2-4 minutes.
3. Add flour, coriander, and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
4. Add (warmed) broth and tomato paste. Mix well. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, uncovered.

Serve hot. Optional: Add avocado slices to the top.