Stewed chickpeas

Ingredients

• 300 gdried chickpeas
• 1 pinchbicarbonate of soda
• 1 sprigrosemary
• 2 clovesgarlic
• 70 gonion
• 70 gcarrot
• 70 gcelery
• 75 ml (5 tablespoons)extra-virgin olive oil
• 300 mltomato pulp
• to tastesalt
• to tasteblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the chickpeas

   Soak the chickpeas in water for about 12 hours, adding a small pinch of bicarbonate of soda.

2. 2

   Cook until nearly tender

   Rinse the chickpeas and cook them until they are almost ready.

3. 3

   Reserve cooking water

   Drain the chickpeas, keeping a little of their cooking water aside.

4. 4

   Chop and soften vegetables

   Peel the onion, carrot and celery, then chop them finely. Soften them in a pot with the olive oil, adding a little chickpea cooking water.

5. 5

   Add garlic and rosemary

   Add the whole garlic cloves and chopped rosemary to the pot.

6. 6

   Simmer with tomato

   Add the chickpeas, salt, black pepper, tomato pulp and a little cooking water. Stir, cover with a lid and cook until the chickpeas are thoroughly tender.

7. 7

   Serve warm

   Serve the chickpeas hot, finished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

What are stewed chickpeas?

This is a homely Italian preparation of chickpeas simmered with tomato and aromatic vegetables. Chickpeas have long been part of cooking across the Mediterranean; this version builds flavour with rosemary, garlic and a simple onion, carrot and celery base.

The tomato and reserved cooking water help make a soft, savoury sauce, while the chickpeas stay at the centre of the dish. It can be served as a substantial meal or alongside other dishes.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1830 calories, 69g protein, 225g carbs, 88g fat.

Most of the carbohydrates, fibre and protein come from the dried chickpeas; the olive oil contributes most of the fat, while the tomato and vegetables add further carbohydrates. The estimate is for the stated one-serving quantity, which is a very large portion; serving some with extra vegetables and keeping the oil drizzle modest is a practical way to balance the plate.

Start with dried chickpeas

Soaking: the 12-hour soak softens the dried chickpeas and helps them cook more evenly. The small pinch of bicarbonate is added to the soaking water, not the cooking pot.

Cooking water: keep a little of the chickpea water when draining. Add it gradually during the vegetable and tomato stages to loosen the mixture without making it watery.

Build the flavour base

Vegetables: chop the onion, carrot and celery finely so they soften into the sauce. Let them stew gently with the oil and a little cooking water rather than allowing them to catch.

Aromatics: the garlic cloves go in whole, while the rosemary is chopped. This gives the pot a clear herbal flavour without making the garlic pieces dominate each spoonful.

Check the chickpeas for doneness

First simmer: cook the chickpeas separately until nearly tender before draining them. They finish cooking with the tomato, so they should not be completely soft at this stage.

Final simmer: the recipe gives no fixed cooking time for either stage, as dried chickpeas vary. Taste one before serving; it should be tender through the centre, with no firm or chalky bite.

Keep the sauce balanced

Add the reserved cooking water a little at a time after adding the tomato. The finished sauce should cling to the chickpeas, rather than pooling as a thin liquid or drying out at the bottom of the pot.

Stir gently while the pot simmers so the chickpeas do not break up. A covered pot helps them cook through in the tomato mixture.

How to serve them

Serve the chickpeas hot with the final drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. They work as a simple meal on their own or with bread to mop up the sauce.

For a fuller plate, pair them with a green salad or cooked vegetables. The recipe also suggests using black chickpeas instead of the usual pale variety; their flavour is described as more intense and herbaceous.

Recipe notes & tips

• Soak the chickpeas for about 12 hours before beginning the cooking stages.
• Keep the chickpea cooking water when draining, as the recipe uses it to soften the vegetables and loosen the stew.
• Chop the onion, carrot and celery finely so they become tender in the sauce.
• Add cooking water in small amounts to control the thickness of the tomato sauce.
• Taste a chickpea near the end to check that it is tender all the way through.

Variations

• Use black chickpeas: swap them for the pale chickpeas for a more intense, herbaceous flavour.
• Make hummus: use cooked chickpeas from the recipe as a starting point for hummus.
• Add to soup: stir cooked chickpeas into a grain and legume soup.
• Serve simply: finish the chickpeas with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, as suggested in the recipe.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the soak: the recipe calls for about 12 hours, so allow time before cooking.
• Discarding all the cooking water: reserve a little to help soften the vegetables and adjust the sauce.
• Adding too much water: pour it in gradually so the sauce stays thick enough to coat the chickpeas.
• Stopping too soon: simmer until a chickpea is tender in the centre, not just soft on the outside.
• Chopping the rosemary too coarsely: chop it finely so it distributes through the stew.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and keep them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened; make sure the chickpeas are piping hot throughout.

Frequently asked questions