Chickpea vegetable stew

This stew can be cooked on the stove or in an Instant Pot. Using an Instant Pot makes it incredibly easy because you can set it to cook then walk away and leave it. The Instant Pot will cook for the allocated time and then keep the food warm for you. You can set the timer before you leave for work then come home to a cooked meal that's ready to eat.

Here is a link to the Instant Pot that I have (I have and recommend the 8 litre): Instant Pot 8 litre on Amazon (This is an affiliate link).

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1 large brown onion

2 tsp crushed garlic

2 sticks celery

2 large carrots

6 medium potatoes (about 1kg), scrubbed and diced

1 cup frozen peas

2 silverbeet or kale leaves, stalks removed and chopped

400g can condensed tomato soup OR 400g can chopped tomatoes (I used tomato soup in this picture)*

400g can (1 1/2 cups cooked) chickpeas, drained

2 cups water (if cooking on the stove top, only add enough water to just cover vegetables)

3 teaspoons chicken-style stock powder (I use Massel brand)*

2 bay leaves

1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)

Salt and pepper to taste

Stove Top Method

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic in ¼ cup water for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the remaining vegetables. Add the carrot and celery as they are cut.

2. Add remaining ingredients, only adding enough water to just cover the vegetables.

3. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are cooked. Remove bay leaf and fresh thyme sprig (if using). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Instant Pot Method

1. Set instant pot to sauté function for 15 minutes. Sauté onion and garlic in ¼ cup water for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the remaining vegetables. Add the carrot and celery as they are cut.

2. Cancel saute function.

3. Add remaining ingredients and set the lid in place. Set the instant pot to manual pressure cook function. Set the timer for 6 minutes.

4. At the end of cooking, allow the pressure to drop naturally for 15 minutes (or longer if you're not home), then release remaining pressure manually. Remove bay leaf and thyme and add salt and pepper to taste.

5. The stew will thicken on standing, and thicken once served. (It will seem a little runny when it first finishes cooking, but the stew needs this amount of water or you will get the burn notice during cooking with any less).

*You may need to add more stock powder if using the chopped tomatoes instead of tomato soup. Add enough to taste.

Note: Add another can of drained chickpeas or a can of drained lentils to add more bulk to the stew.