Vegan Spanish Chickpea Stew is the perfect midweek meal.
Ready in about an hour so perfect for those busy days when you need a wholesome but tasty meal that the whole family will love.
Serve with a wedge of crusty bread to mop up all that amazing savoury sauce and for ultimate meal perfection. A few garlic stuffed olives and a drizzle of vegan sour cream is particularly delicious.

Quick Origins Of Spanish Chickpea Stew
Spanish people have been enjoying rustic stews with chickpeas since the Middle Ages. Common vegetables often added to Spanish stews are cabbage, potatoes, carrots, chard, and green beans.
Traditionally Spanish Chickpea Stews contain meat such as pork, beef or chicken.
Vegan Spanish Chickpea Stew
This meat-free Spanish inspired chickpea stew contains chickpeas, potatoes, bell pepper, onions, garlic, tomato paste, tomato passata (uncooked sieved tomatoes), red wine vinegar, and mixed herbs. Not to forget the mandatory paprika.
Canned chopped tomatoes can replace the passata.
All the flavours work together to produce an amazingly tasty simple meal that is ideal for the long summer months or for cosy winter dinners.
A serving of this rustic Spanish chickpea stew works out at around 330 calories so is perfect for a hearty but light meal. And is an excellent meal for those looking to boost their iron and protein intake with each serving roughly around 6mg Iron and 13g protein.
This is a no-oil chickpea stew recipe instead cooked with veggie stock, however I have prepared this recipe with olive oil as well and its just as tasty so any option is fine.
If you prepare this wholesome Spanish stew do pop back and let us know how you got on. We love receiving comments and feedback.
Thanks so much.
Jacq x
How To Prepare Vegan Spanish Chickpea Stew
Pop in the paprika, fresh and dried garlic, dried herbs, and sugar.
Mix through the kale and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Recipe Notes And FAQS
Leftover Spanish chickpea stew will keep fresh within a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Or freeze using a freezer and food safe bag/tub for up to 4 months. Defrost completely before reheating.
Leftover Spanish stew can be placed into a non-stick pot or pan, add a splash of extra veggie stock just to loosen up the sauce, and reheat over a medium heat until piping hot. Give the leftovers a stir frequently while reheating.
A few ideas:
- garlic bread
- your favourite crusty bread
- a wedge of Irish soda bread (100% wholemeal)
- 3 ingredient quick flatbreads
- crackers, saltine crackers, oatcakes
- large crispy green salad
- garlic stuffed olives (highly recommended!)
- your favourite olives
- pickles, gherkins, fermented veggies
- rice, thick noodles, orzo, pasta. couscous (giant couscous is especially tasty)
* enjoy on toasted/grilled bread for lunch
* use the leftover stew as a tortilla/flatbread/sandwich filling
* toast or grill your filled chickpea stew tortilla/flatbread or sandwich with some grated vegan cheese for a tasty Mediterranean grilled cheese toastie!
* prepare a baked sweet potato and enjoy the stew as a stuffing
* prepare delicious cabbage rolls with the Spanish stew as the stuffing
* use the filling as a stuffing for stuffed peppers, courgettes/zucchini, aubergine/eggplant, large tomatoes and large mushrooms
* top filling with sheets of vegan-friendly filo pastry and bake until hot, bubbling and pastry is golden

More Tasty Traditional Easy Vegan Stews
Vegan Creamed 'Beef' And Barley Stew
Vegan 'Chicken' Stew And Dumplings
Traditional Vegan Scottish Stovies And Neeps (Mashed turnip/rutabaga)
Vegan 'Beef' And Tomato Warwickshire Stew

Vegan Spanish Chickpea Stew
Equipment
- Non-stick sauté pan/deep frying pan/ skillet, with a lid or heat-proof plate.
Ingredients
To sauté veggies:
- 125 millilitres vegetable stock or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Stew:
- 550 grams potatoes Chopped into ½ inch or bitesize pieces.
- 1 can chickpeas 400 grams/ 14 oz drained. About 1 ½ cups/240 grams cooked chickpeas
- 1 large red bell pepper Can use mixed frozen peppers. Red, orange or yellow.
- 110 grams kale Weight is after the kale stalks are removed.
- 1 medium onion rough chopped.
- 4 cloves garlic sliced. Use more garlic if liked.
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder optional but tasty.
- 2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- 1 tablespoon paprika powder sweet paprika if you have it.
- 500 grams tomato passata Or 2 cans of chopped tomatoes 400 grams/15 oz.
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree paste
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup or your usual sweetener/sugar
- 1200 millilitres vegetable stock Plus extra if required
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil or 125ml/½ cup of vegetable stock in the pan.Add the onion and sauté over a low-medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add the garlic, paprika, mixed herbs, sugar, and dried garlic.Mix well.Dry fry for about 2-3 minutes. Stirring to avoid sticking.
- Add the tomato paste and passata.Pour in the vegetable stock.Mix.
- Tip in the potatoes, chickpeas, and and bell pepper. Stir.
- Add a lid to the pan and bring to the boil.Remove the lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the red wine vinegar vinegar, kale, and some salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Check to see if the potatoes are fork tender. If not pop on the pan lid and allow to sit off the heat for 10 minutes.
- Taste the seasoning and adjust if necessary.Add an extra 125-250ml (½-1 cup) of vegetable stock if you prefer a looser sauce. I don't usually as my family prefers a thicker sauce.
- Optional: To finish a squeeze of lemon juice over the stew is tasty as is garlic stuffed olives mixed through. Plus a sprinkle of chopped basil or parsley.A drizzle of vegan sour cream or vegan pouring cream is also nice.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers in a pan with a little extra water or stock until piping hot throughout.
- Portions can be frozen for up to 3-4 months.
- Defrost completely before reheating.
- Leftover Spanish chickpea stew is tasty as a baked sweet potato filling, as well as a tasty filling for cabbage rolls.
- Other ideas for leftovers are to use it for a toasted/grilled sandwich/tortilla wrap/flatbread filling. Add some grated vegan cheese. Tasty for lunch.
- Spanish chickpea stew is particularly delicious served with a nice chunk of crusty bread, a few garlic stuffed olives mixed through, and a drizzle of vegan sour or ordinary plant cream.
Anjali
This stew was super flavorful, hearty and so filling!! My whole family loved it - even the meat eaters at my table were satisfied!
So glad your family enjoyed the chickpea stew 🙂
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
This stew is so delicious and nutritious - so flavourful too! A new addition to our weekly meal plan!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the chickpea stew. Its a regular favourite at our house 🙂
Jeff
I love this hearty meal. It works great on the days I choose vegetarian dinners.
That's great! Here's to many more meat-free dinners 🙂
Renee | The Good Hearted Woman
I love this combo of flavors, and the fact that it's vegan is a welcome bonus! I like to make this stew a day ahead of time to allow the flavors to marry.
I so agree. Preparing stews a day in advance does result in more developed flavours 🙂
Rika
I love vegan meals! This Spanish chickpea looks healthy. I also love that you used passata in the stew.
Thanks so much. I love passata in a stew as it always makes the sauce so smooth and creamy 🙂