Vegan Vegetable Chickpea Stew
Hearty with a sweet and smoky flavour, this Vegetable Chickpea Stew Recipe is an easy one-pot meal! It’s delicious comfort food, perfect for chilly fall evenings, and ideal for freezing for a quick meal another day!

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This veggie and chickpea stew checks off so many boxes. It’s easy to make and perfect for cooking a large batch, and it freezes well. All of those are major wins! When I find the rare recipe that ticks all those boxes, it’s definitely one I’ll be making regularly!
While the base of this stew is, of course, chickpeas, there are so many other flavours and ingredients in it making it a truly robust vegetarian stew. There are carrots and sweet potatoes, which add some more “bulk” to the stew and a little sweetness, but also smoked paprika and cumin for that warm flavour.

Of course, you can add any vegetables you want to this recipe and adjust the seasonings – that’s the beauty of it! This vegetable stew recipe can easily be adapted to individual tastes and preferences.
My favourite part of this stew, though, is how well it stores. This is a great recipe for meal prep and freezer meals! You can get almost a week’s worth of lunches out of one batch or make a double batch to keep in the freezer for those evenings you just need something fast.
Warm and hearty, this is going to be a recipe I make again and again this fall! Two of my other favourite fall meals are Vegan Thail Pumpkin Soup and Lebanese Style Red Lentil Soup.

Ingredients & Substitutions
- Onion – The slightly sweet flavor of red onion works best in this recipe.
- Spices – Garlic, cumin and smoked paprika provide an earthy, smoky flavor to the vegan stew.
- Vegetable stock
- Vegetables – I used diced tomatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots. You can add or substitute any of your favourite vegetables.
- Diced tomatoes – Add a little richness as well as some sweetness to the vegetable gravy.
- Chickpeas – Both canned and cooked chickpeas work in this chickpea stew recipe. Make sure to rinse canned chickpeas well so as not to add the extra strach.
- Bay leaves – Used to cook in the broth to release a mild peppery flavour adding a touch of bitterness to lighten up hearty stews and soups.
- Balsamic vinegar – Adds a unique element of flavour to the dish creating a little bit of zing.
- Olive oil – For sauteing the vegetables.
- Cornstarch – Used to thicken up the stew if needed.
How to Make Vegan Vegetable Chickpea Stew
Chop the carrot in slices. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the sliced carrots. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add chopped onion, garlic, ground black pepper, and salt. Sauté until onion is translucent.


Add diced tomato, diced sweet potato, vegetable stock, smoked paprika, bay leaves and cumin. Bring to boil and cook until sweet potato is tender (about 30 minutes).


Add chickpeas and balsamic vinegar and steam for 10 more minutes. Make sure the chickpeas are drained and rinsed if using canned chickpeas before adding to the stew.
Serve the stew while warm into individual bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley.


Vegetable Stew Recipe Variations
One thing I love about this chickpea stew is how many variations of it you can make. You could make this every week for a year and just by switching up the spices and vegetables, have a different stew every time!
I actually find stews like this to be a great way to clean out the produce drawer and use up any veggies or fresh herbs and try out new spices!
A few recommended ingredients to add include:
- Greens, like kale or spinach
- Peppers, particularly bell peppers or jalapenos for a kick
- Herbs like basil, oregano or parsley (dried or fresh)
- Cayenne pepper for a spicy twist
- Curry powder

How to Store Vegan Stew
You can store your vegan chickpea stew in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s perfect for storing individual servings for lunch throughout the week! Just reheat in the microwave for a few minutes or on the stovetop.
Can I Freeze Vegan Stew?
Yes, this vegetable stew recipe is ideal for freezing! It’s a great dish to have in the freezer for last-minute meals and days you just want something warm and hearty, without any fuss. To freeze, just allow to cool completely and then transfer to freezer containers or Ziploc bags. You can thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove.

Can I Make This In a Crockpot?
Yes, you can easily make this chickpea stew recipe in the slow cooker! You’ll want to still saute the onions on the stovetop and combine the ingredients, but instead of cooking on the stovetop, you’ll dump the vegetables over the chickpeas in the crockpot and add the broth, spices, bay leaves, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar.
Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours or until potatoes are fork-tender and serve.
How to thicken up the Vegetable stew gravy?
I find that sometimes that steam from cooking in the crockpot creates a thinner gravy so if you would like a thicker sauce to add a tablespoon of cornstarch to a 1/4 cup of water in a small cup. Whisk until the cornstarch is blended smoothly with the water.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the stew and stir. It will look white for a few seconds but don’t worry it will blend in. Give it a few more minutes to cook and for the heat to activate to cornstarch. Stir occasionally and if you need it thicker still just repeat the process.

More Recipes Using Chickpeas

Vegan Vegetable Chickpea Stew
Equipment
- Large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven
- Chopping Knife
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large carrot peeled and sliced to 1/2" thickness
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp cumin
- 30 oz chickpeas canned or 3 cups cooked
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp cornstarch optional
Instructions
- Chop the carrot in slices. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the sliced carrots. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped onion, garlic, ground black pepper, and salt. Sauté until onion is translucent.
- Add diced tomato, diced sweet potato, vegetable stock, smoked paprika, bay leaves and cumin. Bring to boil and cook until sweet potato is tender (about 30 minutes).
- Add chickpeas and balsamic vinegar and steam for 10 more minutes.
- Serve the stew while warm into individual bowls.
Nutrition
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Soooooo delicious! I added some nutritional yeast at the end of a bit of something something extra
I love it! Such a satisfying meal! I will definitely make it again!