Stewed Chickpeas in Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Inspired by the flavors and ingredients of Muhammara, these stewed chickpeas are rich, tangy, smoky, and ultra-savory. Serve over rice, in pita, or over whipped feta.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 371kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ½ teaspoon table salt
- 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or red pepper flakes; optional
- 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers drained; strips or whole
- 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ½ cup vegetable broth optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice from ½ small lemon
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- for serving: rice or pita pockets, feta, pickled red onions
Instructions
- In a 4-quart Dutch oven or sauce pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and salt. Sauté until golden, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor with a standard blade attachment, pulse the garlic until minced. Add in the walnuts and pulse until mostly broken down, about the consistency of rolled oats. Transfer this and the red pepper flakes to the sautéed onions, cooking another 3-4 minutes, until the garlic is aromatic and the walnuts are toasted.
- While the walnuts and garlic cook, tear the drained red pepper into strips then add to the food processor. Process until broken down into a texture similar to the crushed tomatoes. Transfer this, along with the crushed tomatoes, pomegranate molasses, brown sugar, sumac, cumin, smoked paprika, and drained chickpeas, to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour. For saucier chickpeas, add ½ cup to 1 cup of vegetable broth.
- Stir in the juice from ½ a lemon just before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Taste for seasonings and spice. Serve over rice or in pita pockets.
Video
Notes
- Pomegranate molasses: This is a harder to find ingredient, but it's worth picking up as just a small amount has a world of tangy, sweet, acidic flavor. It is not the same as standard molasses from the baking aisle, and molasses does not work as a substitute. I bought mine at an international market (Dekalb Farmers Market, for those in Atlanta) but it is available online.
- Sumac: This is another less common ingredient. It can be omitted without drastically changing the recipe. In my town it is available at Sprouts, Fresh Market, and Kroger.
- Serving ideas: I like to serve this over basmati rice with roasted veg for an easy meal. Another option is to scoop the chickpeas into a pita with hummus and/or Tzatziki sauce, feta, and thinly sliced cucumber, or to serve over whipped feta with pita.
Nutrition
Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 1524mg | Potassium: 803mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 974IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 5mg
