Chickpea & Beef Stew

January 27th, 2008

This recipe just didn’t come together nicely for me. To be fair, the original recipe called for browning the meat before adding it to the crock, and I skipped that step. I also didn’t add salt (I never do). I don’t think either of these things would have radically changed the finished flavor of the dish, though. It wasn’t bad, just that none of the flavors melded — it tasted like a mix of wet meat, chickpeas, and carrot.

One good thing I took from the experience was how dried chickpeas cook up in the crock pot. I’d never used them before, only the canned version, and even after 8 hours cooking they were nice and firm. I would definitely try a different recipe calling for dried chickpeas based on using them here.

Also, I choose not to thicken my soups and stews with roux or a slurry, but you certainly can if you’d like.

I’m still trying to think of a way to liven up my frozen leftovers so I can serve the rest of this stew and not dread eating it. Maybe onions and green pepper sauteed in olive oil, mixed in to the warm stew? I’m open to suggestions.

Chickpea & Beef Stew
Adapted from Company’s Coming Slow Cooker Recipes

1 lb. dried chickpeas, rinsed and sorted
1 large onion, chopped
1 c. shredded carrots
1 dried bay leaf
pepper to taste
4 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
1.5 lb. beef stew meat, in 1-inch cubes
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree

Add ingredients to a lined crock pot in the order listed. Cover. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours. Adjust seasonings and serve over rice.

Entry Filed under: Beef, Crock pot, Not our taste