Chickpea Stew

By Jessica Campbell, MS, FNTP

This recipe is a new take on rice and beans. Perfectly hearty for winter and one of those meals that everyone in our family loves. I have been mostly improvising and it never quite turns out the same, but I will try to give measurements in case you are new to this kind of one pot stew. Just be sure to taste it and make sure it is sweet, spicy, smoky, salty and delicious.

I like to use dry chickpeas or garbanzo beans that I soak the night before in water with a splash of vinegar to help break down the anti nutrients found in beans. While I am soaking the beans I throw some brown rice in a bowl of water and vinegar to soak also. The next day I boil the beans in fresh water with a piece of seaweed which helps the beans lose their gassy component. If you did not prepare your beans ahead of time, you can make this with a can of chickpeas too.

Take advantage of this Thanksgiving and prepare for the chickpea stew by saving your turkey carcass to make a homemade bone broth. The recipe will work with water, but a bone broth or even a homemade vegetable broth will make it a nutrient dense health food for the family. Here is the basic recipe.