A hearty and filling meal that's ready in 45 minutes, this vegan sweet potato chickpea stew is 100% wholesome. It has a mix of warming spices, and you can serve it over rice, quinoa, or with some crusty bread for an easy plant-based dinner.
For a simpler version without the sweet potato, try my spiced chickpea stew with coconut milk.
An easy sweet potato and chickpea stew recipe should be present in the arsenal of anyone who enjoys wholesome plant-based meals. This stew works great for winter as it warms you inside out, but I found that I'm making it regularly year-round.
This is basically a chickpea stew to which I add delicious sweet potatoes and baby spinach to make a nutritious meal with almost zero effort. It's also naturally gluten and dairy-free.
The spices in this vegan sweet potato stew are not too fiery but still bold enough to make it interesting, and the good news is that you can adapt them to suit your taste.
I use a mix of smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, ground cumin and chilli flakes for this stew, but you can also add some other warming spices, such as ground coriander, ground turmeric, or garam masala.
Feel free to use this sweet potato chickpea stew as a white canvas when it comes to spices and use your imagination to make it your own.
How do you make the stew?
This is a one-pot recipe, so there's minimal washing up to do (yey!). Making it is super easy, and it only takes 10-15 minutes to chop and prep everything and another 25-30 minutes to cook it.
You start by heating some coconut oil in a large pan or pot and fry the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes. Then it's simply a matter of frying the spices for a quick second, add the rest of the ingredients, give them a good stir, and leave it to simmer for 20 minutes.
When the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, add the spinach, cook for another minute, and you're done.
Can you freeze this vegan sweet potato chickpea stew?
This recipe is great to enjoy on the spot, but it's also ideal for batch cooking. The leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days, and you can also freeze them too. Simply allow the stew to cool down completely, transfer to freezer-friendly containers, and freeze it for up to two months.
To reheat, allow the stew to defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat it in a pan. If the sauce looks too thick, you can add a bit of stock or water when reheating.
What to serve with this chickpea stew?
You can serve this hearty stew with brown rice or quinoa, or even with some of your favourite crusty bread. I sometimes have it on its own or topped with a dollop of vegan Greek-style yoghurt, which is particularly great if you like your stew on the fiery side.
If you liked this sweet potato chickpea stew, you might also like some of my other easy vegan recipes.
Creamy Vegan Artichoke and Spinach Pasta
Don't miss out on any new recipes! Follow Vegan Cocotte on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) chilli flakes
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes
- 2 can (14 oz / 400 g) chickpeas
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 can (1) (14 fl oz / 400 ml) coconut milk
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat the coconut oil and fry the onion over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until softened and slightly golden. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.2 tbsp coconut oil1 large onion4 garlic cloves
- Add all the spices to the pan and mix them in. Next, stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.2 tsp smoked paprika1 tsp ground cinnamon1 tsp ground cumin½ tsp chilli flakes1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes
- Next, add the chickpeas and sweet potatoes to the pan and pour the coconut milk over them. Mix everything well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.2 can (14 oz / 400 g) chickpeas2 medium sweet potatoes1 can (14 fl oz / 400 ml) coconut milk
- Add the baby spinach to the pan and cook for another minute with the lid on until it wilts. Serve over rice, quinoa, or with some crusty bread.2 handfuls baby spinach
Kristin
So flavorful! I’ll be making this on repeat.
Teresa
This is real good comfort food!
Paris
Glad you liked it Teresa.
Katie
I forgot the spinach the first time I made this and it was still delish! Even my younger kiddos loved this meal. This one is a repeat meal for sure. 🙂
Jayne
This recipe yields a delicious and healthy meal, colorful and creamy. I made it exactly as written except I had to substitute olive oil for the coconut oil in which to cook the onion. My husband and I both enjoyed it and I’ll make it again. Great way to have a meal with superfoods and legumes/beans with a complete protein.
Paris
Glad you liked it Jayne.