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chickpeas with soft skin-on eggplant cubes, carrot pieces, tiny dried apricot bits and wilted spinach in thick red-brown tomato sauce in an ordinary bowl, with no meat or garnish
Melissa Hart

Crockpot Chickpea Stew

Chickpeas and eggplant make this meatless stew substantial, with a few chopped dried apricots bringing sweetness that doesn't take over the tomato sauce. Mash some chickpeas near the end to thicken the liquid naturally, and give the spinach only a short finish. Keep the eggplant cubes large enough to survive the long cook but small enough to fit on a spoon, and leave the skin on so the soft centers don't vanish completely into the sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cans 15 oz each chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 lb eggplant cut into 1-inch cubes with skin on
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 2 medium carrots cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes with juices
  • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/3 cup dried apricots finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 3 oz baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method
 

  1. Combine chickpeas, eggplant, onion, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, broth, apricots, olive oil, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir so the spices reach the lower layer.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours until eggplant and carrots are soft and the chickpeas are tender.
  3. Scoop about 1 cup chickpeas with a little liquid into a bowl and mash thoroughly with a fork. Stir the mash back into the stew.
  4. Fold in spinach, cover and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes until wilted and the stew is hot throughout.
  5. Stir in lemon juice and divide among 6 bowls, keeping some whole chickpeas and eggplant cubes in each serving.