Vegan chickpea and spinach stew with potatoes

Vegan chickpea and spinach stew with potatoes: a simple, hearty stew with tomatoes, cumin and olive oil for balanced everyday cooking.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 25 min
• Total time: 40 min
• Calories: 360 kcal per serving
• Protein: 14 g
• Fat: 8 g
• Carbs: 48 g

Ingredients

• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tin of chickpeas
• 150 g fresh or frozen leaf spinach
• 300 g waxy potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and vegetable stock
• 1 tsp cumin

Method

You’ll need: saucepan · chopping board · knife · sieve · wooden spoon · ladle

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Rinse the chickpeas in a sieve under cold water.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and briefly toast the cumin in it until fragrant.
3. Add the potatoes, chickpeas and tomatoes to the pan. Stir in vegetable stock or water and mix everything well.
4. Simmer the stew with the lid on over a medium to low heat until the potatoes are soft and the flavours have come together.
5. Season with salt and fold in the leaf spinach until it wilts and is completely hot.
6. Serve hot, finished with a little olive oil if you like.

Good to know

A stew like this is just right when you want something uncomplicated and satisfying. Warm, soft, spicy – and before long there's something honest on the table.

Swaps

Tinned tomatoes → fresh tomatoes or unsweetened passata (fewer additives, often more flavour) Tinned chickpeas → pre-cooked chickpeas from a jar without additives, or home-cooked chickpeas (usually less sodium, more control over the ingredients) Frozen leaf spinach → fresh leaf spinach or kale (fresher flavour) Olive oil → avocado oil, or a little water/vegetable stock for frying (no seed oils; avocado oil is stable when heated, water or stock needs no fat)

Allergens

The dish is naturally free from milk and egg. How well chickpeas and cumin agree with a sensitive stomach varies from person to person. For children or in pregnancy, it's usually fine for everyday cooking with well-heated spinach and pasteurised tinned tomatoes.

Frequently asked questions

What nutrients are in chickpeas?

Chickpeas provide fibre, plant protein, iron, magnesium and folate. The values can vary slightly depending on brand and processing.

Is spinach a problem because of oxalic acid?

Spinach contains oxalic acid, which occurs naturally. For most people this isn't an issue in normal amounts; if you've had certain kinds of kidney stones, it can make sense to be mindful of it.

What does cumin add nutritionally?

Cumin contains small amounts of essential oils and some iron. The amounts used in the stew matter more for flavour than for nutrition.

Are tinned tomatoes low in nutrients?

No – tinned tomatoes still contain vitamin C and carotenoids, and they're usually tinned when fully ripe.

Why do chickpeas sit heavily in some people's stomachs?

Chickpeas contain fibre and certain carbohydrates that not everyone handles equally well. Rinsing them thoroughly often helps a little, but how well people get on with them still varies.

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