Spicy Lentil & Chickpea Stew

Total Time

Prep: 25 min. Cook: 8 hours

Makes

8 servings (2-3/4 quarts)

Updated: Dec. 04, 2023
This recipe came to me from a friend who had worked at a health food store. I changed a few things until I found a version that my family loved. My son doesn't like things too spicy, so I make the stew milder for him and add a sprinkle of extra spice in mine. My husband, who farms, works outdoors for long hours at a time and finds this soup hearty enough to keep him satisfied. —Melanie MacFarlane, Bedeque, Prince Edward Island
Spicy Lentil & Chickpea Stew Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
  • 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
  • 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 cans (8 ounces each) no-salt-added tomato sauce
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt

Directions

  1. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, oregano and pepper flakes; cook and stir until onion is tender, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker.
  2. Add chickpeas, lentils, olives and paprika; stir in broth and tomato sauce. Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours, until lentils are tender. Stir in spinach. Top servings with yogurt.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/3 cups: 266 calories, 4g fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 712mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate (11g sugars, 10g fiber), 14g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 lean meat.