Italian Chickpea Stew

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By Pamela Morgan, Founder Flirting with Flavors

Recently I have started cooking and experimenting more with healthy vegetarian food.  I love learning new recipes and decided that after my detox last year that I would eat vegetarian for at least 2 meals a day and sometimes 3 meals.  This is called a Flexitarian Diet because I am still eating chicken, fish and some grassfed beef although much less of it than before.   And I still get a hankering for BBQ ribs every once in awhile. I am from Texas after all.   The Flexitarian Diet is a way to stay healthier and prevent disease. I am taking an online plant certification cooking course called Rouxbe ^[5].  This recipe was inspired by my course.

I have always loved chickpeas There are many names for these small beige beans that many call Garbanzo beans.  They are a staple in Middle Eastern cooking and your favorite hummus is made from chickpeas.   Chickpeas can be bought dried, or in cans. They are so healthy for you!

The intake of 2 cups is equal to an entire daily value of FIBER! They can lower your blood sugar and can help you with digestive problems. Here is a hearty Italian chickpea stew.  This recipe is perfect for a winter day, or to make for daily lunch’s. Instead of sitting at your office thinking about which takeout menu place looks better, make this on a Sunday night and bulk it up for the whole week. It’s easy to add protein to this recipe, and work with different side grains. Delicious, healthy, easy, and comforting – A MUST TRY!

Italian Chickpea Stew 

Prep Time: 30m; Cook Time: 1h 15m; Total Time: 1h 45m

Serves: 6 people

Ingredients

Stew

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cans (15oz) chickpeas, drained
• 4 cups onions, diced
• 2 1/2 cups plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup leek, diced
• 2 cups carrots, peeled, and diced
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated
• 1 cup porcini mushroom liquid
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup chopped mixed olives, pitted
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, ground in mortar pestle
• 2 cups fennel bulb, chopped
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
• 2 sprigs oregano, chopped

Italian Couscous

• 1 cup Italian Couscous
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons parsley roughly, chopped

Instructions

Stew

• Start off by cooking the onions in the extra virgin olive oil, on low heat, until translucent and have reached a golden color.
• Add leeks, fennel, carrots, and garlic and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomato paste, and crushed fennel seeds and stir for 2 minutes until the vegetables are covered with the tomato paste
• Add wine and let it cook on high heat until you start seeing a glaze on the vegetables about 5 minutes
• Add the remaining vegetables porcini mushroom, tomatoes, chickpeas and mushroom liquid, and the herbs & spices rosemary, oregano and red pepper flakes
• Taste and adjust seasoning
• Stir everything together and let it simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes
• Finish with olives and capers
• Make sure you adjust the seasoning if needed.
• Garnish with fresh basil

Italian Couscous

• In a medium size pot, add vegetable stock and a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer
• Throw the Italian couscous in and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed about 15-17 minutes
• Take off the heat and fold in extra virgin olive oil, and parsley
• Serve the chickpea stew on a bed of couscous. With a side of red wine this would be a perfect supper.

Cookbook author and entertaining expert, Pamela Morgan is the owner of NYC based Flirting with Flavors ^[6], where she offers exclusive cooking parties, inspirational seminars and special events. She is highly regarded as a special event planner, culinary consultant, cookbook author, and is a food & entertaining editor for Hamptons’s Cottages and Gardens.   Pamela sees food as a flirtation: sexy, provocative, and a little mysterious. Her desire is to teach you how to flirt your way into a full on passion for cooking and entertaining! Visit her web site ^[6] for recipes, entertaining inspiration and much more.

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