Hearty and filling, this easy Mediterranean vegetable stew with chickpeas, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, olives and capers will transport you to Europe. Ready in 30-45 minutes using your Instant Pot or stovetop, this is the answer to a meatless weeknight meal.
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🧄 Very useful ingredient notes
- Sweet bell peppers - Red, yellow or orange sweet peppers work best in this. Green peppers are too bitter. De-seed them and cut into large 1 ½-2-inch pieces.
- Zucchini - You can also use yellow summer squash.
- Chickpeas - garbanzo beans TIP: I used canned chickpeas for this recipe. If you're using homemade chickpeas that are softer, more tender than canned chickpeas, then wait to add them toward the very end, so they don't turn to mush.
- Diced tomatoes - Canned are most convenient, but if you have an abundance of fresh tomatoes, you can use those too.
- Black olives - Sliced black olives bring a salty tanginess to the dish.
- Capers - Giving a tangy, tart flavor, too.
- Couscous - Actually a pre-cooked tiny pasta, couscous cooks up in just 5 minutes. It's so fast and easy. We're using standard couscous here (not Israeli pearl couscous, which are much bigger and take a little longer to cook).
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Chickpeas - sub with white cannellini beans, great northern beans or butter beans. Feel free to add an extra can of chickpeas or white beans to the recipe.
- Couscous - sub with cooked rice or potatoes
- Black olives - sub with kalamata olives for a stronger flavor or with green olives for a more tart flavor
- Capers - omit or sub with more olives
You can change up this chickpea stew in lots of ways! Here are some options:
- Spinach - stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach right before serving
- Herbs - stir in fresh or dried herbs, like parsley, basil or oregano
- White beans - use white cannellini beans, great northern beans or giant white butter beans instead of the chickpeas
- Spices - alter the flavor of this by adding spices at the beginning of cooking
- Potatoes - add cubed potatoes to make this a one pot meal
- Serve over mashed potatoes or over quinoa
- Soup - Add vegetable broth to increase the liquid and make it into a soup, instead of a thick stew
- Mediterranean PASTA - Cook the stew a little longer (or use leftover stew!) and add some dried basil, dried oregano, brown sugar to turn it into a chunky pasta sauce. Add small-medium cooked pasta and combine. So delicous! (my recipe for Casarecce Pasta with Mediterranean Vegetables pictured below)
🔪 Instant Pot Instructions
To make this vegan chickpea stew in the Instant Pot, you'll just need to add all your ingredients, stir and set your timer! Super easy and fast, so you can take care of other necessary things.
This is one of those "throw and go" or "dump and go" pressure cooker recipes.
- Step 1: Turn instant pot on sauté mode
- Step 2: Sauté onion and garlic
- Step 3: Add all the remaining ingredients (except the couscous and vegetable broth) to the Instant Pot.
- Step 4: Stir everything together.
- Step 5: Cover the Instant Pot. Close the vent to "Sealing". Then, tap "Cancel" and then tap "Manual" and set it for 5 minutes.
- Step 6: After the Instant Pot is finished cooking and it beeps, turn the vent with a long spoon (careful of the hot steam) to quick release the pressure. Stir and taste it. Adjust seasoning, if needed.
- Step 7: Bring vegetable broth up to a boil in a pot on the stove. Then, turn heat off and pour in couscous. Stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Step 8: When it's done cooking, fluff with a fork and serve with stew on top.
🔪 Stovetop Instructions
The process to cook this chickpea stew full of Mediterranean flavors on the stove requires a little more stirring and watching, but actually finishes a little faster than the Instant Pot, since you don't have to wait for it to come up to pressure.
The goal with sautéing the vegetables at different stages is to make sure they are all cooked the right amount, so we add them at different times when cooking on the stove.
- Step 1: Sauté onion and garlic over medium-high heat.
- Step 2: Add bell peppers and cook a few minutes.
- Step 3: Add zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Add chickpeas and tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
- Step 5: Add olives, capers and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
- Step 6: Bring vegetable broth up to a boil in a pot on the stove. Then, turn heat off and pour in couscous. Stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Step 7: When it's done cooking, fluff with a fork
- Step 8: Serve the stew over a bed of couscous and enjoy!
👨👩👦👦 Serving suggestions
Our favorite ways of serving this Mediterranean chickpea stew are over couscous or basmati rice.
As far as garnishes, adding some chopped fresh parsley is lovely. Also, a squeeze of lemon juice, if you like a splash of lemony tartness in your soups!
❓ FAQ
Store chickpea stew in covered container (preferably glass - mason jars work great) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make mediterranean vegetable pasta! Add it to a wide pan on the stove along with some dried basil, dried oregano and brown sugar and heat it over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then, add cooked pasta, stir and combine for a delicious vegetable pasta dish!
🗺 Cultural influences
Mediterranean cuisine is based heavily on incredible vegetables, beans, legumes, herbs and grains. This dish would not be out of place on the table in Spain, France, Italy, Greece or Turkey.
This dish is comforting and filling. It's a meal I often prepare for friends or family who are feeling sick.
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📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Vegetable Chickpea Stew (Instant Pot or Stove)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 sweet bell peppers deseeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 medium-large zucchini and/or yellow summer squash trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 16 ounces canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 32 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
- 3 ounces black olives drained and sliced
- 1 tablespoon capers drained (optional)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups couscous
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally while you cut the rest of the vegetables. If it starts to stick, add a tablespoon of water.2 medium yellow onions, 5 garlic cloves
- Next, add all the rest of the ingredients except couscous to Instant Pot insert. Stir everything together.2 sweet bell peppers, 2 medium-large zucchini and/or yellow summer squash, 16 ounces canned chickpeas, 32 ounces canned diced tomatoes, 3 ounces black olives, 1 tablespoon capers, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Cover with lid, move valve to "Sealing". Set Instant Pot on Manual Pressure (high pressure) for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to prepare couscous: bring 2 cups salted water (or vegetable broth) to a boil in a small pan with a tight fitting lid. When it's boiling, stir in couscous, cover with lid and remove from heat. After 5 minutes, fluff with fork.2 cups couscous, 2 cups water
- When Instant Pot is done, quick release the pressure by turning the valve to "Venting" with a long spoon so you don't touch it (be careful to avoid touching the hot steam!).
- Stir the stew, taste and adjust salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve over bed of prepared couscous and enjoy!
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven or medium-large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.2 medium yellow onions, 5 garlic cloves
- Stir in bell peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes.2 sweet bell peppers
- Stir in zucchini and yellow summer squash, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.2 medium-large zucchini and/or yellow summer squash
- Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, sliced olives and capers. Cook on a low boil for about 10 minutes, until everything is heated through and tender.16 ounces canned chickpeas, 32 ounces canned diced tomatoes, 3 ounces black olives, 1 tablespoon capers
- Meanwhile, to prepare couscous: bring 2 cups salted water (or vegetable broth) to a boil in a small pan with a tight fitting lid. When it's boiling, stir in couscous, cover with lid and remove from heat. After 5 minutes, fluff with fork.2 cups couscous, 2 cups water
- Taste stew and adjust salt and pepper, as needed.½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Serve over bed of prepared couscous and enjoy!
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