Vegan Stew with Swiss Chard and Chickpeas

The need for a specific food to bring comfort, memories, sustenance, and emotional stability is real. Sometimes nothing but a rich, hearty stew will satisfy. When you want a warm pot of stew without the meat, this vegan stew with Swiss chard and chickpeas is the recipe that satisfies all that's missing on your table.

Reasons to Love This Recipe

Flavor. One taste of this stew will transport you back to your childhood in an instant. Eating the foods we love is like a warm hug.

The next day. Leftover stew always gets better with age. The flavors, spices, vegetables, everything just melds as it rests.

Ingredients for Vegan Stew with Swiss chard

• Leeks. If you cannot find leeks at the store, a mild onion can be substituted. Yellow onion or sweet onion would be a good choice. Red onion would be too strong.
• Tomatoes.
• Tomato Paste.
• Swiss Chard.
• Bay Leaves.
• Zucchini.
• Chickpeas.
• Vegetable Broth. Or No-Chicken Broth.
• Spices. Garlic Powder, Cumin, Paprika, Turmeric, Coriander Powder, Ground Black Pepper, Aleppo pepper.
• Fresh Herbs. Chopped basil, fresh parsley, or cilantro.

How to Make Vegan Stew with Swiss Chard and Chickpeas

Begin with a simple sauté. Place oil in the pan and when it is hot add the rinsed leeks. After several minutes add the tomato paste, salt, and spices. Cook these for a few minutes before adding the chopped tomatoes. Giving these ingredients time to soften in the skillet with the spices deepens the flavor. After everything is ready, add the remaining ingredients and stir. Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a steady simmer. Simmer for about twenty minutes until everything is cooked through to your liking. Remember to pull out the bay leaves before serving.

Tips for Vegan Stew

• Leeks are a beautiful, mild relative to onions, but they can be tricky to clean. Dirt gets trapped in all the layers! I like to slice my leeks first, place them all in a strainer, and then rinse the leek slices individually before moving them to my cooking pot or dutch oven. Make sure to rinse your knife and flip the cutting board over before chopping the next vegetable.
• If you miss the flavor intensity of onions, you can use half onions, and half leeks instead. Or just add a small onion. I recommend trying it with leeks first and then adjusting the second time. Leeks really are beautiful. Onions also work when your grocery store randomly stops getting leeks in for weeks on end. (Can you tell I'm scared?)
• Fresh cloves of garlic are a welcome substitution for garlic powder if you have the time and the right tool: a garlic press.
• This can be made a soup simply by adding more broth.
• If your stew isn't thick enough, you can add a cornstarch slurry at the end, or begin with a flour-based rue next time. Usually, the starch in the chickpeas is sufficient. Note that the stew is gluten-free unless you add flour for thickening.

Variations on a Theme

• So many different vegetables would work well in this stew. You could add diced carrots, onion, potatoes, celery, mushrooms, or even frozen peas.
• Try replacing about ¼ cup of the broth with a nice red wine or cooking wine.
• Replace the salt with ⅛ cup of soy sauce. Reduce the broth by the same amount.
• Smoked paprika gives a nice smoky note to the stew.
• On your plate, lightly drizzle the dish with a balsamic vinegar glaze reduction. Just a bit.

Frequently Asked Questions for Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew

How do you know when the stew is done?

It doesn't hurt our stew recipe if it keeps on cooking, but you can eat it as soon as everything has softened and heated through. It needs to simmer for about twenty minutes.

How do you store leftover vegan stew?

Keep your leftover stew in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days. Freeze the vegan stew for up to six months in a deep freeze.

How should I reheat my leftover vegan stew?

Place the stew in a microwaveable container and microwave it on high for three to six minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the ice. Add time as needed.

Place the stew in a stock pot on the stove, and reheat it as needed until hot throughout. Stir frequently.

Can you freeze vegan stew?

Yes. Place it in an airtight container. I like to freeze individual servings so that it is ready to grab to take to work. You can also freeze an entire pot to reheat on a busy night! In that case, I recommend making double what you need and setting aside half for later.

What should I serve with vegan stew?

Our vegan stew can be served over rice, lentils, bread, quinoa, ramen, or soba noodles. It can be served with a nice crusty bread, a bright salad or fruit salad, or next to a sandwich.

More Tasty Swiss Chard Recipes

• Sautéed Swiss Chard
• Tagliatelle With Mushroom Ragu & Swiss Chard
• Black Eyed Peas Recipe with Swiss Chard Over Mashed Cauliflower
• Easy Swiss Chard Recipe with Cannellini Beans
• Kañiwa, Swiss Chard & Tofu Bowl

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