Chickpea stew with a California-Mediterranean flair—this meatless stew is chock full of veggies, figs, and herbs for a cozy hearty meal.
The flavors in this Mediterranean-inspired stew harmonize like a well-tuned orchestra. Piquant flavors from the capers and feta are offset by the natural sweetness of California Figs. We like tawny Golden Figs with their subtle sweet and nutty flavor. Mission Figs add a deeper earthy sweetness.
Protein Pro-Tip for Meatless Stew
Chickpeas add the protein to the meatless stew, but so do the greens. Adding in baby kale and spinach adds iron and beefs up the chickpea stew.
Chickpea Stew Flavor Boosters
Saute onion until very soft. Then, add in the garlic, rosemary, and red pepper, stirring for a few seconds. Once it’s fragrant, then, you’ll stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes with their juice, broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer the chickpea stew.
Then, you’ll add in the figs and capers to cook for a few minutes. Off-heat, stir in the greens, wilting them. Season to taste and then garnish with feta crumbled over the top. Crusty bread is great alongside to dunk into the stew.
Cal-Med Chickpea Stew with California Figs, Tomatoes, Rosemary and Feta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onion or red onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 cans chickpeas drained, rinsed, and drained again
- 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup chicken broth reduced sodium, or vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 7 ounces Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs stemmed and chopped
- 2 tbsp capers drained
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 4 cups kale
- 4 cups arugula stems removed
- salt and pepper as desired
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- whole grain bread crusty, optional
Instructions
- Swirl oil into a large deep skillet with lid. Place over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, till onion is very soft. Add garlic, rosemary and red pepper; stir for a few seconds, till fragrant. Add chickpeas, tomatoes with liquid, broth and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat simmer very gently for 15 minutes. Stir in Figs and capers; cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add greens, remove from heat and stir until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste, as needed.
- To serve, spoon into wide shallow bowls. Top with feta. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.
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Nutrition
Recipe and photo by Lorelle Del Matto