Quinoa and Chickpea Stew

Why This Quinoa and Chickpea Stew Works

As the pot heats up, the onion softens in the olive oil and starts to taste sweeter. The garlic and spices warm in the oil too, so the cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne spread through the oil and coat everything that goes in later. By the time the chickpeas and quinoa are added, they’re already touching that seasoned oil instead of plain broth.

Once the broth and tomatoes go in and the pot comes to a boil, the quinoa starts soaking up the hot liquid. Over the 20 minutes of gentle simmering, the quinoa swells, softens, and gives off a bit of starch, so the stew thickens instead of staying watery. The chickpeas stay whole but get more tender as they sit in the hot broth.

Near the end, the spinach only needs a short time in the hot stew before it wilts. The lemon juice goes in last, so it doesn’t cook off; it cuts through the thicker, starchy broth and keeps the stew from tasting heavy.

Mistakes To Avoid

Letting the stew boil hard the whole time instead of lowering to a gentle simmer makes the liquid evaporate too fast. The quinoa then grabs what’s left, swells too much, and the stew turns thick and pasty instead of brothy and spoonable.

Adding the spinach at the start with the quinoa causes it to cook for too long. The leaves break down completely, lose their bright color, and turn into dull green bits that disappear into the stew instead of soft, visible pieces.

Skipping the step of rinsing the quinoa leaves its natural coating on the grains. During cooking this coating makes the broth taste noticeably bitter and gives the stew a slightly harsh finish, even if the texture is fine.

Pouring in the lemon juice early and then simmering it the whole time flattens its effect. The acid cooks off, and instead of a fresh, sharp finish at the end, the stew tastes a bit flat and heavy.