A delicious, healthy recipe with chickpeas made in the instant pot, with stovetop method included. Easy whole foods vegan recipe that’s family-friendly!
These stewed chickpeas began on the stovetop. Then, I realized I could more quickly reduce the onions and dates using my Instant Pot.
I’ve had a lot of requests for pressure cooker recipes. It’s taken me a while to post one. I just tend to just wing it with the instant pot. How about you guys? Don’t you find it’s the type of appliance where you chuck staples and seasonings in there and let it ‘do its thing’?
Despite my tendency not to record recipes with the instant pot, I’ve been trying to do so. For you!
My favorite use of the IP is cooking . #useyourbean 😬 I use the Instant Pot for grains as well, but most often in combination with beans for recipes. So, it’s probably no surprise that the first instant pot recipe I share with you is one using beans!
This stewed chickpeas recipe is one I will turn to regularly, even though I’ve finished official ‘testing’. Hearty, delicious, quick to pull together – just so darn easy!
I value that simplicity of preparation so much now. I thought once the girls became older, I’d delve into more intricate recipes again. Not so! As kids get older there is a different kind of busy. I have no interest in fussy food prep. Anyone with me? #ithinkso!
I also love the flavor and sauciness of this stewed chickpeas dish. The onions cook down with the dates into the tomato puree creating this saucy base with an underlying sweetness that offsets the smoked paprika.
It’s so simply delicious, I can eat it straight up. But, we usually have it over cooked quinoa or a brown rice. Any leftovers I freeze or use myself in a vegan lunch bowl. In fact, I’m quite happy to have leftovers, because they become my”lunchovers“!
Stewed Chickpeas in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp water and more if needed
- 2 large or 3 small-medium onions chopped (about 3 – 3 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 – 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp rounded sea salt
- 2 cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2/3 cup pitted dates chopped
- 1 24 oz / 680g jar strained tomatoes or 1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
Instructions
- Add water, onions, paprika, cumin, allspice, and salt in the pressure cooker on saute function. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adding extra water if sticking. Add chickpeas, dates, and tomatoes and stir through well. Turn off saute function, and put on lid. Manually set to pressure cook (high) for 20 minutes. Then, let pressure release naturally (or release manually). Stir through, taste, add seasoning if desired, and serve. Serves 4-6 with cooked grain or potatoes (see note).
Notes
- Serving Suggestion: Serve over a whole grain like brown rice, millet, or quinoa. Also try over steamed kale, roasted squash, or mashed potatoes.
- Stovetop method: If you don’t have a pressure cooker, simply use a large pot to cook on stovetop. Follow instructions to saute. After adding the tomatoes, chickpeas, and dates, bring heat to a boil, then reduce to low. Cover, and cook for 40 minutes, or until dates and onions are fully softened.
NEWS! If all goes well, I’ll be releasing my Oil-Free Salad Dressings ebook next week. I’ll post soon, here’s a sneak peek… (UPDATE: Now here!)
Enjoy! x Dreena
Food photos taken by Nicole Axworthy.
Nancy Brady RN says
Just made this… exquisite and yet so simple! But… do NOT use an Instant Pot or it will stick! (unless…you have a secret). Don’t like smoky taste, so just used Berbere Spice… also I only had one package of tomato sauce so added one can of chopped tomatoes. Worked out great.. I added 1/2 cup red lentils to beef it up. It was absolutely delicious… oh, also added some asparagus tips at the end that I had.
Because it burnt on the bottom with the I.P,. I transferred it all to another s.s. insert and did a slow cook… turned out great. Thank you for this lovely recipe..
Dreena says
Hi Nancy, glad you love the flavors! Not sure why it sticks for you, I’ve never had that happen. I use crushed/pureed tomatoes, rather than tomato sauce, maybe that’s the difference. I’ll keep an eye/ear out for this with others though, I’d be interested to know if that’s happened for other folks. TY!
Nancy Brady RN says
I don’t know HOW you did this in the pressure cooker without burning with all that tomato sauce! But, I said to myself, well, if Dreena did it, then it must work..but, sure enough, it burnt big time and quite quickly! How did you all do it?
Jennifer says
Nancy, did you use actual tomato sauce like you wrote, or did you use crushed tomatoes? The recipe calls for strained tomatoes, but it sounds like drained tomatoes – they aren’t drained, they are quite liquidy. Maybe that is what went wrong? Tomato sauce is much thicker and not as liquid. Make sure you are using crushed tomatoes or tomato puree. not sauce (which is already cooked down).
I love these chickpeas – it’s similar to a chickpea curry that I make, but this one has almost a Jamaican or Caribbean flavor profile to it.
Heather says
We don’t have a pressure cooker so i made it on the stove top. it came out gorgeous–the long slow cook made all the onions and dates just melt into the sauce. i also added 2 roasted, cubed sweet potatoes I had left over from a previous meal and it was lovely. Will feed the two of us again tonight. Thanks!
Dreena says
So glad to hear that, Heather! I sometimes make it stovetop as well. The addition of the sweet spuds = fabulous!
Kathy says
I tried this recipe today for the first time. It is DELICIOUS! I cooked dried chickpeas for 20 minutes before adding to this recipe. Worked very well. I love the slight sweetness that the dates give the sauce. Excellent recipe and I would proudly feed this to meat eaters.
Dreena says
Wonderful!! So pleased, thanks for sharing that Kathy. It’s become one of my new favorites, glad you feel it’s one you could easily serve to meat eaters as well.
Shellie says
Absolutely delicious. Leftovers just as good over rice. Can’t wait to have it again. 🙂