15-Minute Chickpea Stew with Broccoli

This easy tomato chickpea stew combines store-cupboard ingredients with broccoli and delicate spices for a healthy and hearty dinner that's on the table in 15 minutes or less.

No frills, one pan, and brimming with flavour and nutrients. Nice.

You can enjoy this one on its own as a kind of thick soup, or pair it with sides such as bread, rice, or potatoes. Whatever floats your garbanzo boat.

Looking for more ways to get chickpeas into your cooking? Check out these recipes for chana masala (chickpea curry), chickpea stir-fry, and vegan biryani with chickpeas.

Why I love it

Simple recipes like this mean you can pretty much throw everything in a pan and enjoy the results 10-15 minutes later. It's:

• Vegan
• Gluten-free
• Budget-friendly
• Full of nutrients
• Full of flavour

All big ticks for this busy household looking to churn out a plant-based dinner in the middle of the week!

Having recently become a parent, I'm discovering just how tricky it can be to get healthy home-cooked meals on the table in amongst the various daily routines. I'm a big advocate of batch-cooking recipes such as lentil dal or chilli, but it's not always possible to plan ahead.

Where does this dish get its flavour from?

In addition to the dried mixed herbs, I use a delicious combination of fennel seeds and caraway seeds.

Fennel seeds have a sweet aniseed flavour – just like the vegetable itself – and also work well in dishes such as mushroom biryani or black bean dip. Meanwhile, caraway seeds have a slightly sharper, bittersweet aniseed flavour that's also great in Moroccan zaalouk.

It's well worth getting your hands on spices like these, as they can be used to add extra flavour to chilli or other vegan stews such as jackfruit 'beef' stew or vegan goulash.

Is chickpea stew healthy?

The health benefits of chickpeas and other legumes are well-documented, making this low-fat stew a great recipe to include in your regular rotation. You'll get plenty of plant-based protein, fibre, iron, potassium, calcium, and vitamin C to name just a few nutrients.

In one serving of this recipe, you'll find:

• Calories: 426 kcal
• Protein: 24 grams (48% of RDA)
• Fibre: 20 grams (83% of RDA)
• Iron: 9 mg (50% of RDA)

Amounts based on a third-party nutrition calculator. Figures don't include any extra sides.

What you'll need

To make this quick and healthy vegan dish, you'll need:

• Chickpeas a.k.a. garbanzo beans
• Broccoli chopped into small florets and pieces
• Tomatoes to add body to the stew
• Nutritional yeast for depth of flavour
• Spices in the form of garlic, caraway seeds, and fennel seeds
• Optional extras like lemon juice and fresh parsley

How to make chickpea stew in 15 minutes

Heat the oil in a large pan on low/medium heat. Add the chopped garlic, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds.

Fry gently for a minute or two until fragrant, stirring regularly.

Add the tinned tomatoes, drained chickpeas, chopped broccoli, mixed herbs, and nutritional yeast.

Fill the empty tomato can half full of water (so that you'll have 7 oz / 200 ml), give it a swirl, and add this water to the pan.

Season with salt and pepper and give everything a good stir.

Cover with a lid, increase the heat, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook for 5-10 minutes until the broccoli is done to your liking. I like a bit of bite, but you may prefer it softer.

Once the broccoli is done to your liking, check the seasoning and serve.

Serving suggestions

If you have them to hand, lemon juice and fresh parsley are nice flavours to add to this when serving.

Enjoy the stew on its own as a light meal, or bulk it out with sides such as rice, roast potatoes, sweet potato mash, couscous salad, or slices of fresh bread (gluten-free if necessary).

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips for vegan chickpea stew

• Other veg: You could easily add other veg such as peppers, courgette, kale, cauliflower, or spinach (I often use frozen spinach in my cooking). Sliced mushrooms are also a nice addition.
• Other spices: Try other combinations of spices that include cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, or garam masala.
• Dried herbs: If you don't have a shop-bought mix, you could replace this with the likes of thyme, oregano, sage, marjoram, rosemary, or a mix of those.
• Add heat: To make this a spicy stew, add small amounts of chilli powder or cayenne pepper to taste (or add fresh chilli when frying the garlic).
• Make it creamy: Give the stew a creamy consistency by adding some coconut milk or homemade cashew cream (try ½ cup or 100 ml for the recipe as written).

More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:

You can also check out my full list of vegan one-pot recipes and vegan mains.