Vegan chickpea stew

Vegan chickpea stew

vegan chickpea stew lablabi portion

Today’s recipe is inspired by a dish that Tunisians tend to have for breakfast. It has a pleasantly alliterative name – LABLABI (I will forever be a language nerd) – and a mixture of spices I personally really like: cumin, coriander and harissa paste, which is why I’m rather keen on it myself.

Lablabi is a soup or stew that is traditionally topped with an egg (poached or fried) and some capers.

It doesn’t always feature tomatoes, so feel free to skip them if you are not a fan (add a good squeeze of lemon for acidity instead), but as I do love tomato-based stews and the colour is way more attractive too, I opted to use a small amount to give this dish more body.

I also riffed a little bit by adding a touch of smoked paprika and an extra hint of chilli to please my own tastebuds.

I hope you will enjoy it. For us, the Northern Hemisphere dwellers, it’s a timely recipe as it has been rather cold here lately. The test versions went down well with Duncan’s cousin, Syd, so I really hope you will approve of it too!

vegan chickpea stew lablabi

vegan chickpea stew lablabi lunch

serves
2-3
PREP
10 min
COOKING
40 min
serves
2-3
PREPARATION
10 min
COOKING
40 min
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml oil (I used olive oil)
  • 1 medium onion (I used red), finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 3 tsp ground cumin
  • 1½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 4 tsp harissa paste
  • 400 g / 14 oz tin chopped tomatoes / 3 medium, ripe tomatoes
  • 500 ml / 2 cups chickpea brine / aquafaba*
  • 1 vegetable (vegan) stock cube
  • black pepper, to taste
  • ¾ tsp salt, adjust to taste
  • ½ tsp hot chilli flakes, adjust to taste
  • 2 tsp brown sugar (optional)
  • 800 g / 28 oz tin chickpeas / approx. 3 cups cooked chickpeas
  • fresh coriander, chopped (optional)
  • cashew cream, to serve (recipe here)
  • favourite bread, to serve
METHOD
  1. Heat up the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
  2. Add the diced onion and fry it gently (on a low heat) until almost translucent (for about 7 minutes), stirring from time to time.
  3. Add chopped garlic. Keep on frying gently until the onion is translucent and the garlic softens completely and releases its beautiful aroma (approx. 5 minutes).
  4. Stir all the ground spices into the onion-garlic mixture. Fry them off gently for a minute or two (stirring the whole time) as they tend to burn easily.
  5. Stir harissa paste into the onion and garlic mixture.
  6. Add chopped tomatoes, chickpea brine, stock cube and salt to the pan. Simmer for about 15-25 minutes for the stew to thicken and for the excess moisture to evaporate. Adjust simmering time to achieve the desired thickness. Give the stew a good stir from time to time.
  7. Once the sauce thickens, taste it and season with a generous amount of black pepper, more salt if needed, chilli flakes (if your harissa is quite mild) and some sugar if you find the dish too acidic.
  8. Finally, stir in cooked chickpeas and let them warm through. Serve with toasted or fresh bread, topped with chopped coriander and a dollop of cashew cream if you wish.


NOTES
*Traditionally chickpea brine (aquafaba / chickpea water) is used for this soup, if you would rather use water feel free but the soup will be thinner, especially if you decide to skip the chopped tomatoes. If you happen to have an opened bottle of wine lying around, feel free to substitute some of the liquid with a glass of red wine too – it may be very unconventional but will taste really nice, promise!

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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
476
24%
sugars
6 g
7%
fats
24 g
34%
saturates
3 g
13%
proteins
17 g
35%
carbs
53 g
20%
*per serving
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5.0
4 reviews, 10 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Elle:
Can I use no liquid as I want it as a soup?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Elle,
    I suppose you meant to say 'more liquid' (as opposed to 'no liquid')? Yes, sure you can, you may want to add a bit more seasoning though! Hope you'll enjoy it. x Ania
Wow! This is one of the very best recipes I’ve ever cooked. Thank you so much for sharing it. The blend of flavors is complex and tantalizing, and the stew is so warming, satisfying, and wholesome for a winter evening.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, AJ, I am very happy to hear that you enjoyed this dish and thank YOU for taking the time to rate this recipe – I really appreciate it! Ania
Carolina:
I had this for dinner with my family, there were no leftovers! Definitely recommend for those who haven't tried it yet!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Carolina, I'm so pleased to hear that! Ania
Annie:
Delicious for all the family, thanks
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Annie, that's lovely to hear! Ania
Jess:
For the Aquafaba do you just use the liquid from the can of chickpeas or do you make your own
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Jess, I tend to cook my own so just use cooking water, but liquid for the cans will work just as well. Hope that helps! Ania
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs:
Ooh nice idea to throw some red wine in there! I can totally see myself eating this for breakfast now that it's so cold out, but it's a great meal any time of the day, really.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks for your kind words, Alexandra! :)
Elena Kerasopites:
I'm pinning this! Not for breakfast, but it's perfect for cozy movie nights now that Christmas lent has started!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, Elena, I hope you'll enjoy this recipe! Ania
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