Name: Spanish Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 3 tablespoon olive oil; 1 red onion, chopped; 4 cloves garlic; 1 red pepper; 2 small sweet potatoes; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 x 400 g (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained; 1 x 400 g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes; 500 ml (2 1/2 cups) vegetable stock; 150 g ( 5 oz) baby spinach

Jump to Recipe

A super healthy vegan stew that’s easy to make and oh-so-satisfying, this Spanish chickpea and sweet potato stew is ready in under an hour. The stew is naturally vegan and gluten-free and has well-balanced flavours for the perfect winter comfort meal.

A photo of a grey bowl full of chickpea stew

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email and I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

I typically use Indian spices for vegan stews and soups, as I do for example in my Red Lentil Potato Soup with Lemon or this Potato and Butter Beans Curry.

But for this chickpea and sweet potato stew, I used spices of Spanish inspiration. Smoked paprika, garlic and chilli make this vegan stew positively delicious.

You can make this vegan sweet potato stew as spicy as you like, by adding more or less chilli. I don't like it too fiery, so I use mild chilli powder to make it, but if you want the stew to have a bit of a kick, use hot chilli instead.

If you want to use Indian spices instead, you can easily transform this stew into a chickpea and sweet potato curry, simply by using curry powder and cumin instead. The possibilities are truly endless.

This Spanish chickpea stew is naturally vegan and gluten-free, and it's great on its own. Alternatively, you can serve it over rice or with some crusty bread. I typically enjoy it with a slice of my crispy rosemary focaccia.

A close up photo of a bowl of vegan sweet potato stew

How do you make the chickpea and sweet potato stew?

In a large pan, heat the olive oil and fry the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
Add the peppers and sweet potatoes and continue to fry for another 4-5 minutes.
Add the spices and fry for another minute, stirring frequently.
Stir in the chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, and vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook with a lid on for around 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce reaches a thickish consistency and the sweet potatoes are fork-tender
Add the baby spinach and cook for another 5 minutes until the spinach has wilted.

Grid of photos showing step by step instructions for Spanish chickpea stew

Recipe tips for the perfect vegan chickpea stew

I use canned chickpeas for this recipe as it's so much more easier than having to remember to soak dry chickpeas overnight. If you have the time, dry chickpeas would work great in this stew, but you may need to add 10-15 minutes of cooking time.
You can easily meal prep this recipe. It keeps well for 3-5 days in an airtight glass container and you can reheat it and serve over rice or quinoa for a quick and nutritious lunch.
If you want the stew to be a bit thicker, you can crush the chickpeas a bit with a wooden spoon. This helps to release the starch, which will make the sauce thicker.

Photo of a large grey pan with chickpea and sweet potato stew

If you liked this Spanish chickpea and sweet potato stew, you may also like:

Vegan Zuppa Toscana

Vegan Lentil Soup with Kale

Vegan Cannellini Beans Stew

Hungry for more? 😄 Follow Skinny Spatula on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Yield: 4