This vegan chickpea stew recipe with curry and coconut milk is lightly spicy, loaded with carrots, and gets a hint of green from kale or spinach. So easy, creamy, and delicious, ready in about 30 minutes!
This easy vegan chickpea stew recipe has a lot going for it, the turmeric in the curry powder adds color and flavor, it gets spiced up with smoked paprika and cayenne, and kale swoops in for your green vegetable situation.
Simple pantry ingredients are the star of the show, I always keep a can of coconut milk in the cupboard so I can whip up creamy recipes like this in a flash. With very little prep and a quick cooking time, you can make it on a weeknight and have a cozy plant-based dinner in minutes!
Chickpea stew freezes well, it's one of my favorite one pot freezer meals to have at the ready for a cold, rainy day. For more ways to use canned chickpeas try my Chickpea Salad!
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Curry chickpea stew ingredients
- Canned chickpeas: Full of protein, affordable, and versatile, canned chickpeas are one of my favorite ingredients to keep on hand. Oftentimes I like to use the liquid from canned beans in soups, but this time we will drain and rinse them before use.
- Curry powder: Curry powder can be a powerful secret ingredient in soup and stew recipes, I also use it in my Sweet Potato Corn Chowder with Curry. Full of turmeric and aromatic spices, it adds an earthy, comforting note to the chickpea stew.
- Coconut milk: Coconut milk adds amazing flavor and thickens the stew without making it heavy. Make sure you are buying coconut milk, not coconut cream. Keep extra cans on hand to make Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Coconut Milk, or Chicken Thighs with Coconut Milk Creamed Corn.
- Carrots and onion: I like to keep the carrots in big chunks for this recipe because it gives more of a stew-like texture that stands up to the chickpeas. We'll dice the onions finely so they blend in.
- Smoked paprika: Adds depth of flavor and a smoky quality that makes this vegan stew satisfying without adding any meat.
- Cayenne pepper: We're using just a little cayenne pepper, if you don't like spicy, just leave it out.
- Garlic and ginger: This knockout combo of aromatics adds so much flavor, and both of these ingredients go so well with coconut milk.
- Vegetable stock: Make sure to use a low sodium stock so you can control the amount of salt yourself.
- Kale or spinach: I'm using kale because I love how hearty it is. See variations section below for more green veggie ideas you can add no matter the season.
- Cilantro or harrisa: Optional for serving.
- Extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
*Ingredients with measurements can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
- Swap out the kale: Use spinach, swiss chard, or even beet greens!
- Lighten it up: Low fat coconut milk works just as well to make the chickpea stew creamy, but lower in calories.
- Add more veggies according to the seasons: So many vegetables would work in this recipe including zucchini, asparagus, bell pepper, potatoes, and more. Try whatever is in season.
- Try a different spice: If you don't have cayenne, add red pepper flakes or even a pinch of chili powder.
How to make curry chickpea stew
Step 1: Chop the carrots and onions
Use a good chef's knife and dice the onions finely. Slice the carrots about ยผ-inch thick. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the carrots and onions
Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the carrots and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and aromatic, about 8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
Step 3: Grate the ginger and garlic
Meanwhile, use a microplane grater to grate the garlic and ginger.
Pro tip
There's no need to peel the ginger before grating unless you really want to, as it will cook down in the stew.
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Step 4: Add the curry and spices
Clear a space in the bottom of the pot, add another ยฝ tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, paprika and cayenne pepper to this oil and let it sizzle for a couple seconds.
Then mix the garlic and spices with the carrots and onions, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
Disclosure: The pot shown was given to me by Lodge Cast Iron, all opinions are my own.
Step 5: Add the coconut milk, stock, chickpeas, and let it stew!
Add the vegetable broth to the pot and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan (flavor!). Add the drained chickpeas and the coconut milk and stir to combine.
Turn the heat up to medium high. Once the stew reaches a simmer, turn it down to medium low and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, until it has reduced slightly. Season with ยฝ teaspoon of kosher salt.
While the stew simmers, roughly chop the kale.
Step 6: Add the kale and serve!
Add the chopped kale and cook for another 3-5 minutes, just until it's wilted and bright green. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve the chickpea stew immediately, topped with fresh cilantro and freshly ground black pepper if desired.
Expert tips
- Serve as a stew or part of a larger meal: Curry chickpea stew is delightful on its own with a slice of crusty bread, but for a heartier meal, serve it over rice or couscous.
- Blooming the spices is important: Sizzling the spices in oil and then stirring them around the pot with the carrots and onions is very important! This is called blooming spices. It wakes up their flavor and cooks them a bit, and helps to integrate them fully with the rest of the ingredients, otherwise you'll just have spices floating around in the soup and that creates a gritty texture.
- Don't salt until the end: Wait until just before serving add salt. The stew will reduce slightly and thicken, and if you salt first, it may end up too salty. Seasoning at the end means it will be just right. This is an essential tip when making any stew, I recommend the same technique when making my Dutch oven Guinness stew and pork stew with white beans.
Storage
- To store: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, or in the microwave.
- To freeze: The coconut milk in this chickpea stew recipe means it freezes well. Transfer to a freezer safe container (I like these reusable silicone bags) and freeze for up to 3 months.
More vegan and vegetarian soup recipes
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup gets major flavor from a cauliflower broth!
- Soupe au Pistou is the French way to clean out your cupboards and turn it into something delicious! It's vegan without the topping, which has easy vegan swaps.
- Gazpacho is the ultimate vegan soup of summer with all that fresh tomato flavor!
Deb's Details: Curry chickpea stew is vegan, quick and easy!
- Only 5 minutes of prep.
- Cooks in about 30 minutes.
- Add kale, spinach, or any green vegetable!
- Coconut milk adds a creamy texture without being heavy.
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free!
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Recipe
Curry Chickpea Stew with Coconut Milk
Equipment
- 4.5 quart Dutch oven or any soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 3 carrots
- 2½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 2 teaspoon grated ginger
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoon curry powder (yellow)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 2 cups chopped kale, spinach or swiss chard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the carrots and onions
- freshly ground black pepper for serving
- fresh cilantro optional, for serving
- harissa optional, for serving
Instructions
- Dice the onions finely. Slice the carrots about ¼-inch thick. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.
- Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the carrots and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and aromatic, about 8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Meanwhile, use a microplane grater to grate the garlic and ginger. (If you don't have a grater, mince both finely.) There's no need to peel the ginger before grating unless you really want to, as it will cook down in the stew.
- Clear a space in the bottom of the pot, add another ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, paprika and cayenne pepper to this oil and let it sizzle for a couple seconds. Then mix the garlic, ginger and spices with the carrots and onions, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
- Add the vegetable stock to the pot and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan (flavor!). Add the drained chickpeas and the coconut milk and stir to combine.
- Turn the heat up to medium high. Once the stew reaches a simmer, turn it down to medium low and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, until it has reduced slightly. Season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. While the stew simmers, roughly chop the kale.
- Add the chopped kale and cook for another 3-5 minutes, just until it's wilted and bright green. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve the chickpea stew immediately, topped with fresh cilantro if desired.
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Notes
- Serve as a stew or part of a larger meal: Chickpea stew is delightful on its own with a slice of crusty bread, but for a heartier meal, serve it over rice or couscous.
- Blooming the spices is important: Sizzling the spices in oil and then stirring them around the pot with the carrots and onions is very important! This is called blooming the spices. It wakes up their flavor and cooks them a bit, and helps to integrate them fully with the rest of the ingredients, otherwise you'll just have spices floating around in the soup and that creates a gritty texture.
- Don't salt until the end: Wait until just before serving to salt the stew. It will reduce slightly and thicken, and if you salt first, it may end up too salty. Seasoning at the end means it will be just right.
- Store: Make ahead or keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated as an estimate. Calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
Donna says
Hi Debra
I made this today. So delicious!!!
I may take your suggestion and try it on Jasmine Rice the next time.
Thanks
Donna
Debra says
Hi Donna,
So glad you enjoyed it. I'm sure you'll love it over rice, too.
Thanks for reading and trying my recipes,
Debra