Chickpea stew with bacon

I have made this chickpea dish with bacon several times, especially when I wanted something hearty with simple ingredients. What I like most is that you don't need many special things and everything is quite straightforward, without complicated steps. The chickpeas require a little patience while boiling, but after that, everything goes quickly.

Quick Info

Total time: about 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on how quickly the chickpeas boil
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 50-60 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy-medium
Recipe type: lunch or dinner, main dish

Ingredients

200 g chickpeas
1 white onion
1 carrot
1 slice of celery
30 ml oil
salt
pepper
thyme (to taste)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
300 g bacon
2 cloves of garlic

Preparation method

1. Soak the chickpeas in advance if they are not already hydrated. Then boil them with a small pinch of baking soda. After the first boil, discard the water and place the chickpeas in a clean pot with fresh water.

2. Bring to a boil again, this time with salt. The chickpeas need about 40 minutes, but it may take longer depending on how hard they are. When the beans can be crushed between your fingers, they are ready. Drain well.

3. Put the boiled chickpeas in a blender and blend until you get a paste, finer or coarser, depending on how you want the final texture.

4. In a pot, heat the oil. Add the chopped onion, grated carrot, and finely chopped celery. Sprinkle salt and pepper from the beginning. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables soften.

5. Add the chickpea paste over the vegetables. Mix well and let everything cook together to blend the flavors. Add more salt or pepper if you feel it's needed. Finally, add dried thyme to taste and crush the two cloves of garlic directly over the dish. Mix and let it cook for another minute.

6. In another pan, heat a little oil. Add the bacon cut into pieces. Let it brown well on both sides. When it's ready, add the 4 tablespoons of tomato paste over the bacon and drizzle a little water to turn it into a sauce. Mix and adjust with salt, pepper, and a bit more thyme.

7. When everything is ready, you can put the bacon with its sauce over the chickpea paste or separately, each can take as much as they want.

Why I make the recipe often

I make it when I need a filling meal with cheap and handy ingredients. It also reheats well, and the chickpeas keep me full for a long time. It doesn't require complicated techniques, and the ingredients can be adapted.

Tips and variations

Tips

- If you have canned chickpeas, you greatly shorten the time – just rinse them well and skip the long boiling.
- Baking soda helps soften the chickpeas, but don't put too much, or it will leave a taste.
- You can mash the chickpeas as fine as you want; if you don't like a paste, you can crush them coarsely.
- Fattier bacon adds more flavor, but any kind of bacon works.

Substitutions

- If you don't have bacon, you can use smoked sausage or even ham.
- Celery can be omitted or replaced with parsnip if you don't have it.
- Instead of tomato paste, you can use tomato purée or canned tomatoes, but the final texture will be more liquid.

Variations

- If you want it to be vegan, leave out the bacon and serve only with vegetables.
- You can add fresh parsley at the end for freshness.
- Sometimes I add a little smoked paprika for flavor.

Serving ideas

- It goes well with fresh bread or pita to soak up all the sauce.
- It can be a side dish next to a simple green salad.
- You can also add a little chili pepper on top if you like it spicy.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I use canned chickpeas?
Yes, just rinse them well and don't boil them, add them directly over the vegetables after mashing.

2. How long should dried chickpeas boil?
It depends on the age of the beans, but usually between 40 and 60 minutes, until you can easily crush them between your fingers.

3. Do I have to blend the chickpeas?
Not necessarily, you can also just crush them with a fork if you want a more rustic texture.

4. Can I make the dish without bacon?
Yes, it remains a simple chickpea dish, you can add more vegetables or a little olive oil for flavor.

5. How do I adjust if the chickpeas turn out too dry?
Add a little hot water or a splash of oil at the end until you reach the desired consistency.

Nutritional values

Estimate for one serving (out of a total of 4):
Calories: 400-450 kcal
Protein: 20-25 g
Carbohydrates: 30-35 g
Fats: 20-25 g
Values may vary depending on how fatty the bacon is and how much oil you use. Chickpeas provide a lot of fiber and protein, while bacon adds fats and extra flavor.

Storage and reheating

It can be stored in the fridge in a container for 2-3 days without problems. When reheating, add a little water if the dish seems too dry. The bacon retains its texture if you reheat it in a pan or with the chickpeas, not in the microwave. If the bacon sits too long in the sauce, it may become softer, but the taste remains good.

 Ingredients: 200 g chickpeas, one white onion, one carrot, one slice of celery, 30 ml oil, salt, pepper, thyme to taste, 4 tablespoons tomato paste, 300 g bacon, 2 cloves of garlic

 Tags:  chickpea food