This Chickpea and tahini stew is super cozy and satisfying. It has tender, smoky eggplant, meaty chickpeas and vibrant baby spinach in a rich and creamy sauce. This one-pot vegan dish is both gluten free and allergy friendly. The perfect dish for a chilly day, you are going to love this comfort food recipe. The secret ingredient that makes this dish surprisingly rich is sesame tahini.
This recipe was sponsored by Mighty Sesame Tahini Co. I was compensated for using their tahini in the recipe's development. Trust that the opinions are my own.
Why you will love this comfort food recipe
There is so much to love about this vegan chickpea and tahini stew. First, it is chock full of good for you ingredients. If you are like me and you eat to live as well as live to eat, that is important! This whole foods, plant-based recipe is dairy-free and allergy friendly. It has eggplant and baby spinach, chickpeas, onion and garlic. The rich and gluten free tomato sauce is laced with creamy sesame tahini. It has a silky texture and delicious flavor you will love. Next, it's really an easy recipe to make. A beginner cook will follow this recipe and feel like a pro chef. This is a one-pot recipe, which is always a plus in my book.
What is Sesame Tahini?
Tahini is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with. I am obsessed. Sesame tahini is a paste made from grinding sesame seeds. It is most often used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. You will recognize the flavor from hummus, baba ganoush and tahini sauce. I make many salad dressings and dips with tahini. It is a staple in my house. I have been using Mighty Sesame Tahini Co. tahini for several years. They are my favorite for several reasons. First, I love that they are organic and only have one ingredient, sesame seeds. Second the taste and texture of their tahini is superior to many brands. I love how their tahini is smooth and runny and doesn't separate or get clumpy. Their convenient squeeze bottle makes it easy to get every delicious drop. Tahini makes this Chickpea and Tahini stew exceptional.
Ingredients for Chickpea and Tahini Stew
This vegan Mediterranean recipe is full of pantry staple ingredients. Although this seasonal recipe is perfect for Fall and Winter, make it year round. Find these ingredients anytime. Let's run through the list.
- Extra virgin olive oil- I use extra virgin olive oil to fry the aromatics and sear the vegetables in this recipe. Substitute avocado oil or any oil you prefer. For oil-free cooking, use a couple tablespoons of water instead of oil.
- Yellow onion- Yellow onion gives a mellow onion flavor to the sauce that I really like. It doesn't overpower and gets sweeter through the cooking process. Sub red onion if that is what you have or if you want a milder onion flavor use green onion or shallot.
- Garlic- The pungent flavor of garlic is delicious and distinct. It pairs so well with the eggplant and tomato. If you want a milder flavor skip the fresh garlic and use the garlic powder only.
- Eggplant- Eggplant is such a meaty vegetable. Well, technically aubergine is a fruit. It is delicious in this creamy, tomato and garlic laced tahini sauce.
- Smoked paprika- Smoked paprika gives this dish a smoky depth. It pairs incredibly with eggplant and tomato.
- Garlic powder- We use both fresh garlic and garlic powder to infuse this dish with flavor.
- Carrot- Carrots give this a nice sweet flavor to balance the smoke and tangy tomato.
- Chickpeas- Chickpeas are meaty and satisfying in the thick sauce. Substitute white beans or lentils.
- Tomato paste- Tomato paste balances out all the flavors with a tangy zing of acid.
- Sesame tahini- Creamy sesame tahini is nutty and slightly bitter. Mixed with all the other flavors it produces an incredibly tasty sauce.
- Baby spinach- Fresh, green baby spinach gives this dish a pop of color and nutrition.
- Lemon- A squeeze of lemon at the end gives this recipe a fresh and bright pop of citrus.
How to make Chickpea and Tahini Stew
This one-pot recipe is so easy to make! To make this incredibly tasty vegan dish just follow these directions in order to layer the flavors. Many people will want to rush through these steps, but I don't recommend it. The flavor depth and complexity will not be the same if you just throw it all in a pan. You must develop the flavor.
- Cook the aromatics- Sautéing the aromatic garlic and onions is a very important step for this super cozy dish. Look for golden color creeping in on the garlic and some browning on the edges of the onion before moving to the next step.
- Cook the eggplant- Cooking the aubergine slowly and long enough is imperative. If you add the liquids before the eggplant is soft, the texture will become rubbery. This step of the cooking is the longest because it is the most important.
- Beef up the stew- Adding carrots and chickpeas will make this stew "meatier".
- Sauce it up- Tomato paste and water make the bulk of the sauce. Combined with the aromatics, spices and veggies they make a rich and complex flavor. Lastly, adding the tahini really takes it to the next level.
- Finish- Finish the stew with fresh baby spinach and lemon. This gives the vegan stew a Mediterranean vibe.
How to serve Chickpea and Tahini Stew
This delicious comfort food is versatile. Serve it with crusty bread, pita bread or rice. The vegan stew is thick and hearty and best eaten with something that can "mop up" the Mediterranean "gravy". My husband said that this is delicious room temperature eaten like dip. I tried it over some rotini pasta and it was absolutely delicious. Eat it with your favorite carb. Get creative! Please let me know how you ate yours. I love feedback.
More Delicious Vegan Tahini Recipes
- Extra Creamy Muhammara
- Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Tofu Florentine with Vegan Hollandaise
Chickpea Tahini Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 eggplant cubed
- ½ tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 carrot peeled and chopped
- 15 oz chickpeas canned
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups water
- 3 tbsp sesame tahini
- 5 oz baby spinach
- ½ lemon
Instructions
- Into a deep skillet or soup pot over medium heat add olive oil. Once it's hot add onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes until fragrant and sizzling.
- Add eggplant and cook for 10 minutes stirring often. Then add salt, smoked paprika, carrot and garlic powder, stir well and cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally. By now the eggplant will be softening and almost cooked through.
- Next add tomato paste and stir into the eggplant mixture. Cook for 5 minutes more to caramelize the tomato paste.
- Then add water and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes this way stirring occasionally until all is well incorporated, eggplant is very soft and the sauce is getting thick and creamy.
- Turn heat to medium low and add tahini, stir to combine then add spinach and cover for 2 minutes. Don’t overcook now, you want the spinach to stay green. Uncover and stir the wilted spinach into the stew. Then squeeze half a lemon over it and serve with crusty bread or rice.
- Enjoy withing 4-5 days for best quality.