Zucchini Chickpea Stew

This colorful zucchini and chickpea stew is a classic Italian side dish, with a saucy melody of fork tender vegetables.

Beware zucchini season is fast approaching where I live. You know that time of year when you have more zucchini then you know what to do with, then your neighbor brings you some they didn’t know what to do with either. Yikes now what?

Enter this vegetarian stew, typically a side dish but if you add a salad and some crusty Italian bread this vegetarian stew is hardy enough for a delicious dinner.

How To Make Zucchini Chickpea Stew

Start by picking the the freshest zucchini, keep in mind that bigger isn’t necessarily better when choosing zucchini. The bigger ones tend to have more seeds and less flavor

Cut the zucchini in same size pieces to insure even cooking. Zucchini is bland in flavor salt the zucchini directly verses salting the the sauce.

I used chickpeas, but this recipe works well with great northern beans. If you have prepared marinara, which I recommend you always have you can use it in place of the canned tomatoes. Or you can use fresh tomatoes.

I didn’t included Parmesan cheese in this recipe but you should, and don’t forget about the vinegar it adds a another depth of flavor, YUM!

If you make this recipe please don’t forget to leave me a comment and tag me on Instagram… That’s my favorite part.

Ingredients

3 zucchini cut in large dice
1 medium onion chopped
1 15 oz. can un drained chick peas
1 chopped red bell pepper
2 cups chopped spinach
1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes
3 Tablespoons chopped garlic
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons each chopped Italian parsley, basil and thyme
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons virgin olive oil for sauteing

Instructions

Saute the onion and garlic in the hot olive oil until limp and fragrant
Add the tomatoes
Simmer covered for 15 minutes
Add the zucchini, red bell peppers and chickpeas…. salt and pepper now
Simmer 10 minutes longer
Add spinach, herbs, and vinegar simmer 5 minutes more