Name: Lebanese Chickpea Stew Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 5 cloves garlic; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 2 heaping tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp red pepper flakes; 3 cups cooked chickpeas (canned or from scratch); 2 –3 heaping tsp za’atar; 2 –3 bay leaves; 1 roasted red bell pepper (chopped into small pieces); 2 cups water; Salt to taste; 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)

This chickpea stew is a perfect illustration of everything I love about Lebanese cuisine — it is very easy to make, yet delicious. The ingredients include plump chickpeas simmered in a rich, deep-red sauce with smoky roasted red peppers, za’atar, and a little bit of spice. It takes only 30 minutes to make.

The Ingredients You’ll Need

The most common ingredients in Lebanese Chickpea Stew:

Chickpeas: The undisputed star of the dish. Canned chickpeas work perfectly here and keep things quick and easy. If you are cooking from dried chickpeas, use one cup and cook until tender before starting the stew.
Za’atar: This Middle Eastern spice mix is what gives the stew its signature smokiness and depth. Start with two heaping teaspoons and add more to taste – it is one of those ingredients that rewards generosity.
Roasted red peppers: Chopped into small bite-sized pieces and stirred into the stew, they add a wonderful smoky sweetness that pairs beautifully with the chickpeas and spices.
Lebanese flavor: The essential spices here are garlic and cumin, crushed together into a coarse paste using a mortar and pestle. This small step makes a big difference – freshly crushed garlic and cumin bloomed in olive oil is the flavor foundation everything else builds on.
Tomato paste: Just two heaping tablespoons give the sauce its rich, deep-red colour and that satisfying body that makes you want to scoop up every last drop with pita bread.
The heat: Paprika and red pepper flakes add a gentle warmth without overpowering the other flavors. If you like more heat, swap the paprika for cayenne – you will not regret it.

How To Cook Lebanese Chickpea Stew

Make the paste: Place the garlic cloves and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle or food processor and crush into a coarse paste. This is your flavour base and it is worth taking the extra two minutes to do it properly.

Prepare the spices: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the crushed garlic and cumin paste and sauté deeply.

Make the sauce: Add the tomato paste, paprika and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir everything together well. Continue to sauté for another two minutes until the tomato paste darkens slightly and everything is beautifully combined.

Add the chickpeas: Add the chickpeas to the pot along with the za’atar, chopped roasted red peppers and bay leaves. Stir well so every chickpea gets coated in all the sauce.

Simmer the stew: Add two cups of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pot and cook for ten minutes for all the flavours to fully merge and the stew to thicken. Remove the lid for the last two minutes of cooking. A good trick here — crush a few of the chickpeas with the back of your ladle to help thicken the stew naturally.

The final step: Add salt to taste, stir in the fresh chopped parsley, and turn off the heat. Serve hot or warm with pita bread or steamed rice.

What To Eat With Lebanese Chickpea Stew

This stew is wonderful served over steamed rice or scooped up with warm pita bread. For a more filling meal, Lebanese vermicelli rice alongside it is a truly satisfying combination. A simple green salad or some extra fresh parsley scattered on top rounds everything out beautifully.

This stew also thickens further as it stands — so if you are making it ahead, keep a little extra water or vegetable stock nearby to loosen it back up when reheating. It keeps well in the fridge and tastes even better the next day.