One-pot Chicken and Chickpea Recipe that Will Make You Fall in Love with Stews
When you think of stews, you probably think of something your grandma would make, or perhaps something meant to eat only in cold weather. This chicken and chickpea stew is just the contrary. I personally prefer making this on a random day, whether hot or cold, when I need something filling, but easy to make.
To make this recipe, I prefer to use chicken thighs without skin or bone, and I cut them into 1-inch cubes. As for the chickpeas, you can either use raw ones and cook them if you have a long time, or use canned ones, like I did, and just make sure you spicy them up.
What I love about this recipe the most is how easy it is to make and how flavorful it is. You can call it Middle Eastern or Mediterranean, the truth is, I find it to be a mix of everything. This time, I accompanied it with some Jasmine white rice for better absorption of the sauce, but you can pick another side dish that you like best.
This is a great example of a one-pot meal and one that will take a short time to make, so it’s great for a weeknight after work or when you have spontaneous dinner company. Let’s get started!
Chicken and Chickpea Stew with Tomatoes, Onions and Zucchini
Prep time: 10 minutes/ Cooking time: 20- 25 minutes/ Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs or 1 and ½ lbs chicken thighs
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 large green zucchini diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons of tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 deep saucepan
- 1 cutting board
- 1 good knife
Additional equipment: big pot for rice or a rice cooker
Instructions for Chicken and Chickpea Stew:
- Wash onion thoroughly and place on cutting board. Chop your onions into ½ -inch cubes. Put coconut oil in saucepan and start sauteing them. Add the minced garlic.
- Wash zucchini thoroughly and place on cutting board. Chop your zucchini into ½-inch cubes, watch this if you need an idea. Remember not to peel your zucchini!
- Place your chopped zucchini in the same saucepan with the onion. Sprinkle the cinnamon and cumin on top and mix, then turn to medium heat. While the vegetables are being done, prepare your chicken by washing it thoroughly as well.
- On your cutting board, start cutting the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Put coconut oil on skillet and let it get warm. Once warm, put your chicken on the skillet for about 4 minutes on each side.
- While your chicken is ready, open the can of diced tomatoes. If you don’t have a can of diced tomatoes, or prefer to use fresh tomatoes, chop them into ½-inch squares as well just like this. Let them simmer on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes.
- After the 3 minutes, add the tomato paste and the chicken stock. Mix and saute on low heat for another 3 minutes.
- Open your can of chickpeas and drain it— you don’t want the chickpea juice to take over the entire flavor of the recipe. If you are cooking your chickpeas from scratch, check this video out before you even start cooking. Add the chickpeas to the sauce and leave on low heat for another 5 minutes.
- Now that your chicken is done, add it to the sauce mix and let it cook on low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Once ready to serve, sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Enjoy!
As I mentioned before, I prepared this recipe with white Jasmine rice. For this I used:
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 2 cups water
- Salt to taste
First you put coconut oil on the pot, add minced garlic and once hot add the Jasmine rice and saute for 2 minutes. Add water, let it boil until it starts making bubbles, then lower to simmering heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Uncover and make sure texture feels and looks good with a fork.
Now that you have your side, you are ready to dig in! I did this while waiting for my chicken to be ready, and so can you.
You can also change the side dish to something more of your liking. I suggest a yummy pasta, or perhaps a cous cous, something fluffy that will absorb the sauce of the stew and not take away for this flavorful dish.
Ready for a New Kind of Stew?
I hope you liked this recipe, I find it really easy to make and it saves a lot of trouble in the kitchen while being really filling. Like I said, this stew doesn’t have to be meant for a cold night, it can be eaten at any time of the year thanks to its mix of sour and sweet flavors.
Don’t forget to soak your stew with a good side dish, I personally love Jasmine rice, it is softer than most. The side dish is meant to complement, not take over, the stew itself has enough flavor on its own.
Now that your are ready, let me know what you thought. Does this seem easy? Did you like cooking this stew? Would you suggest anything else? Try it and let me know!