Vegan Slow Cooker Stew with Chickpeas and Spinach
On chilly days, there’s nothing quite like tucking into a comforting bowl of this Vegan Slow Cooker Stew. And, even better, it takes about 15 minutes to prep and it’s ready by the time you get home from work! This simple recipe is packed with colorful veggies, like bell peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, and spinach in a savory coconut curry broth. In fact, each serving is so hearty, and has so much flavor, you might not notice that this recipe is completely vegan.
Simmering the vegetable stew in a slow cooker with garlic, ginger, and spices allows the flavors to meld together for hours. The result is a fragrant, flavorful broth that takes very little work to achieve. Simply sautée the onions, pepper and garlic; then toss everything into a crock pot and let it do its thing.
The spices are one of the most important components of this Vegan Slow Cooker Stew recipe. You’ll need curry powder, fresh ginger, salt and pepper, and cayenne. The combination is phenomenal. Coconut milk gives a creamy texture and balances out the mild heat from the cayenne powder. And because this soup is meat-free, chickpeas boost the protein in this healthy plant-based dish. We recommend stirring the spinach in right before serving – it literally takes seconds to wilt.
If you don’t have a slow cooker at home, a big soup pot will work too. Just cook over very low heat, plan to reduce the cooking time, and watch over your stew as it bubbles away. If you’re in a hurry, it can be ready to eat after about 30 minutes, but longer cooking will intensify the flavor.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 17 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 32 minutes
Servings 6 servings, approx. 2 cups each
Calories 274 kcal
Ingredients
olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium green bell pepper chopped
1 medium red bell pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
2 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, no added salt
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained, rinsed
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
½ tsp. sea salt or Himalayan salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 dash ground cayenne pepper optional
1 medium head cauliflower cut into florets
1 (10-oz.) bag raw baby spinach
1 cup lite coconut milk
Instructions
Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over high heat.
Add onion and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
Place onion mixture in 3-quart slow cooker.
Add broth, tomatoes (with juice), chickpeas, curry powder, maple syrup, ginger, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix well; cover. Cook on high for 3 hours.
Add cauliflower. Mix well; cover. Cook on high for 1 hour.
Add spinach and coconut milk. Mix well; cover. Cook on high for 10 minutes, or until spinach wilts.
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