One-Pot Wonders
Heidi Swanson's Chickpea Stew with Saffron, Yogurt, and Garlic
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48 Reviews
Tom B.
March 17, 2023
Simple, flavorful recipe. I made a few modifications (at the risk of tampering with a Genius Recipe):
1) 2 15 oz cans of chickpeas
2) 2T Chicken Better than Bouillon
3) 5c water
4) 1/3-1/2 c jasmine rice
5) Pureed a cup or so of the chickpeas with some broth, and added back
6) Added chopped cilantro stems (used leaves at the end)
7) Sprinkled with sumac along with paprika--not sure that added much
8) Topped with a bit of olive oil at the end--not sure that added much
I might add some spinach or something else green next time.
1) 2 15 oz cans of chickpeas
2) 2T Chicken Better than Bouillon
3) 5c water
4) 1/3-1/2 c jasmine rice
5) Pureed a cup or so of the chickpeas with some broth, and added back
6) Added chopped cilantro stems (used leaves at the end)
7) Sprinkled with sumac along with paprika--not sure that added much
8) Topped with a bit of olive oil at the end--not sure that added much
I might add some spinach or something else green next time.
Dan
April 30, 2022
I made this per the instructions. It never became creamy and the saffron was overpowering yet monotonous at the same time (and I like saffron).
Jo S.
April 6, 2020
Made this soup by following the recipe and added a spritz of fresh lemon juice before serving. It was not good at all. I could go on, but I won't share my family's thoughts. If you can't say something nice...
Bailey
March 21, 2019
I’ve been making this for years. It’s a fantastic soup. I’ve subbed in sour cream instead of yogurt just for an extra tart flavor most of the times I’ve made it. I also add potatoes and chicken for extra texture. (I’ve done it with soy vegetarian “chicken” and real chicken both are delicious) Just be sure to temper the yougurt/sour cream when you add it to the broth otherwise you’ll have separation and clumps in the soup.
Tatjana D.
January 28, 2019
i did this for a group of 6 friends and it came out fantastic from the very first try! i happened to have too many black Chinese mushrooms (wood ear) that evening ( i keep dry chinese mushrooms in a jar and threw too many of them in a hot water for another recipe) so i threw them in. the result was DELICIOUS!!! thank you for your generosity to share this great recipe. i am making it again tonight, my boyfriend is crazy about it !
Anna
March 12, 2018
I made this with canned chickpeas and it was a breeze to make. I loved the creamy liquid/broth part of the soup but thought it was a bit too monotonous in terms of solids with just the chickpeas and onions. I've blitzed some of the soup with a handheld blender and next time I may be adding some greens.
Piper F.
November 20, 2017
My boyfriend and I had some trouble this one. We wished in retrospect that we had added some other starch with body to round out the soup (sweet potato?). Maybe we'll try this one again when we have a kitchen that isn't so haphazard!
Isabelle J.
August 2, 2016
I made this last night from the cookbook. One problem I had is that the garlic is never sauteed, because it states to add with the broth. So the garlic stayed kind of pungent and biting which we didn't like. Generally, this stew was less Genius-er than others in the book.
Jaime S.
May 1, 2016
Wondering if anyone has any insights on how long this will keep on the fridge/ freezer.
rlsalvati
April 24, 2016
Very good. My saffron is awol, used the poor man's tumeric+paprika substitute. Can't wait to try it with the correct ingredients. Like Andrea, this left me craving avgolemono. May add a bit of lemon juice next time.
Alice B.
March 5, 2016
This was pretty good, but lacked something. I added a spritz of lemon and that made all the flavors pop.
Burchie
October 13, 2015
Love this soup - one of our favorites! have tried chicken stock once but found it came out a little too oily for my liking. Makes a great winter meal when paired with a salad!
Andrea
June 2, 2015
While I enjoyed this soup and will no doubt make it again, I kept wishing for a little bright pop of something. A squeeze of citrus, perhaps? It left me craving a big bowl of avgolemono. I had nearly every kind of paprika in my cabinet *except* sweet paprika so I used a generous sprinkle of sumac. It was a lovely addition and gave the soup a nice bit of tartness.
placidplaid
March 23, 2015
It was the big OK. I added shredded kale because I had it hanging around. I also added a couple of broken up slices of cooked bacon. I knew that as it was, it wouldn't appeal to my son. I think it's better for these ingredients.
Kaede S.
December 16, 2014
Hm. I tried this out last weekend and followed instructions to the letter. My husband liked it but I had trouble getting around the tartness of the yogurt. Might just be me.
homie S.
March 23, 2014
I just made this, and it is lovely. I may have completely ignored the proportions, not out of willfulness but because I had only one egg on hand. I reduced the yogurt accordingly to a half of a single serving container. Still, delicate and satisfying at the same time.
Horto
February 23, 2014
i made "winter warming" soup from this site and using the cooking liquid was tasty….
Horto
February 23, 2014
wondering if you are using dried beans, would it be useful to use the broth from beans instead of veggie broth? what do you think?
Wendy P.
February 5, 2014
I made as is using Wallaby non-fat greek yogurt. I might try Labne next time just to see if that makes it thicker but the thinness didn't really bother me. I used dried chickpeas which I soaked overnight and then cooked for about 30 minutes in water with a little baking soda. That helps the skins come off the beans. I did peel off all the skins. I liked the soup as is but then also added some lemon to see what that would be like. That was good too. I suppose sumac which is a bit lemony might be a nice addition instead. I think the basic soup provides a nice palate to allow you to personalize as you see fit. I feel like it might also benefit from a little spicy heat so will try adding a little chili oil to top or perhaps a little sprinkle of alleppo pepper. Also want to try with a little smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika. I could see omitting the cilantro and trying a different herb; a little pesto swirled in, or fresh mint, or some zaatar. The possibilities are endless!
AnnieHynes
January 20, 2014
I liked the soup but definitely was not wild about the hard chickpea texture. Do they ever soften?
Daria
January 6, 2014
I really liked this. I left out the eggs, put half of the yogurt in, added cut up potatos and used chicken broth. And a little pepper. Nice!
Dina M.
December 12, 2013
more of a soup than a stew...I also had trouble getting it to thicken to what stew consistency should be(although the picture really looks like a soup). pureed half the chickpeas; added some lemon juice.
ChefJune
December 12, 2013
havenlt made this yet, but you should be able to thicken this a bit by pureeing some of the chickpeas.
ChefJune
December 12, 2013
not sure how I missed this when it was first posted. This sounds amazing, and I'm sure it will find a place in my soup rotation this winter -- minus the cilantro.
fatgirleating
September 7, 2013
i usually make this when i have left over roast chicken in the house. i shred the chicken and throw it in with any juices, and some thinly sliced lemon. heaven!
Beth H.
July 27, 2013
I've made this twice and I really like it. It never thickens much for me. Also, I like to top it with croutons to add a little crunch.
Ken W.
July 27, 2013
Myrian,
I did not get the results you seem to have gotten. For me it was more like the Greek Egg-Lemon Soup. Why do you "think" what you bought was saffron? There is a lot of adulterated saffron out there but I also wonder if you used turmeric (the poor man's "saffron") ? Thinking about it, I also wonder if it was azafran ( a legitimate spice but used for coloring in Mexican cuisine and sometimes sold as saffron.)
I did not get the results you seem to have gotten. For me it was more like the Greek Egg-Lemon Soup. Why do you "think" what you bought was saffron? There is a lot of adulterated saffron out there but I also wonder if you used turmeric (the poor man's "saffron") ? Thinking about it, I also wonder if it was azafran ( a legitimate spice but used for coloring in Mexican cuisine and sometimes sold as saffron.)
homie S.
March 23, 2014
Ken, did you mean achiote? Azafran is just saffron in Spanish. We use it a lot for rice (made rigorously with broth, not water!). Growing up, my mom had a guy that got her the good stuff, bypassing the large commercial operations altogether. Achiote, on the other hand, is a seed that is used for its yellow-red color in marinades in much of Latin America or and the Caribbean, in dishes ranging from cochinita pibil to arroz con gandules. Hope that helps clarify the 'spices you add to food to make it yellow' question! Unfortunately a lot of commercial 'saffron' is either adulterated, as you said, or really low quality, to the point that it gives almost no flavor or aroma to the food, just color. The little packets of powdered 'saffron' that I see all over Europe are of depressing quality!
Myrian
July 27, 2013
I followed the recipe pretty closely... and used Greek Yogurt. Did anyone else get a very intense greek yogurt taste/smell to their soup? I felt like the flavors were lost with the greek yogurt. I live in Japan and bought what I think is saffron... that might not have helped!
J D.
July 27, 2013
Check the ingredients of your "greek" yogurt. Greek yogurt as it's now known more commonly mostly in the U.S. is basically yogurt that's had most of the whey strained off after it sets. BUT so many of the "Greek yogurts" out there have gelatin added to it in order to keep it firm (unfortunately this is done with cheaper, lower quality brands, even in Greece). What the source of gelatin is (fish or mammal) is another thing altogether. That might be the source of the taste?
FunkyLady
June 11, 2013
I really enjoyed this soup. I used cannellini beans instead of garbanzo beans, parsley instead of cilantro, and chicken broth instead of vegetable broth- because that is what I had on hand. Also, added about two tablespoons of minced jalepeno. I loved it, my boyfriend thought it could have used more texture...
AusTex
May 20, 2013
I used coconut yogurt because it was all I had in the frig and it came out excellent, kind of a Thai taste.
MariahK
May 13, 2013
This is amazing! I used creme fraiche instead of yogurt because i wanted to use some up. It was so so good. I didn't feel like it needed the cilantro garnish.
Renee B.
May 6, 2013
I did puree half of the chickpeas and the texture was nice. It was delicious. A friend asked for the recipe and called it a keeper. I agree. I also think that adding lemon juice would be nice. Next time.
Davis B.
May 6, 2013
Didn't really thicken up for me either & while i didn't mind the whole chickpeas, all that chopped onion didn't do it for me 'mouthfeef'-wise. Ended up going more towrds avgolemono route, kind of. Pureed with a n immersion blender, then whisked together lemon juice & egg whites and slowly added that on low heat.
Renee B.
May 3, 2013
I suppose you could also puree some of the chickpeas. I plan to make this tonight and will try that in lieu of adding another egg yolk.
J D.
April 30, 2013
Can't wait to try this one. Interesting that you bring up avgolemono. In Greece, avgolemono or a alevrolemono (thickener of lemon juice and a little four) is added at the end of cooking to revithada (a simple dish of long simmered chickpeas in water with onion and olive oil that can be divine - the stock it produces is unbelievable)....But I'm itching to try this now with yogurt and egg!
soupandsong
April 29, 2013
I followed the recipe to the letter, but it never thickened. The flavor was still quite nice, but the broth was thin and milky. I happened to have some cooked purple barley so I added that and some chopped marcona almonds to the final dish, and it was lovely! But, I'm still not clear why it never thickened. A tasty dish nonetheless!
Kristen M.
April 29, 2013
Hi soupandsong -- I've found it doesn't thicken a whole lot, just enough to give it more of an enriched, creamier mouthfeel (to borrow from wine tasting lingo). To make it more like a cream soup, you'd want to increase the yogurt or eggs or maybe add some of the chickpea cooking liquid, or decrease the broth.
jody D.
May 3, 2013
that is also what i thought...but i did what i often do with soup and blended a cup or so of it up and put it back in - perfect! (:
msmely
April 28, 2013
This recipe cried out to be Persian-ified to me, so when I made it for my meatatarian husband (added chicken, used chicken broth) I also added a dose of advieh.
cmtb
April 28, 2013
why three egg yolks? can you reduce or replace?
msmely
April 28, 2013
The egg yolks are a thickening agent. I have no experience using egg replacer but I imagine that would work if you needed to veganify it.
Kristen M.
April 29, 2013
The egg yolks are there to enrich and slightly thicken the sauce -- if you want to skip them, it will just be a little thinner, but should still be good.
mommychef
April 24, 2013
pretty delicious and considering I had to use 1/2 cup of plain sweetened yogurt and 1/2 cup low fat sour cream, I'd say "forgiving" in an understatement. it's a keeper - thank you!
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