Vegan Pumpkin Chickpea Stew

A vegan pumpkin chickpea stew for a simple, seasonal autumn meal. Served over brown rice, it’s a budget friendly, filling, and healthy dinner that freezes well. 

As many of you know, Graham and I packed up and moved to Germany a couple of months ago. For the first two months neither of us had jobs and we were worried about running out of savings quickly, so I’ve been cooking and baking on a tight budget. Really tight budget.

I currently don’t have chia, nuts, frozen berries, quinoa, or coconut oil in the house – things I consider staples but that can be on the pricey side. I’ve been developing recipes based on what I do have, and many of these very simple meals have been surprisingly delicious (and affordable). This vegan pumpkin chickpea stew or curry is one of those recipes.

I’ve switched out coconut oil primarily for olive oil. We have had a few jars of coconut oil since moving here, but I’ve generally stopped using it for baking in favour of olive oil, and saved coconut for higher heat cooking. We’ve been eating a lot of in-season apples that we picked at my grandmother’s instead of berries, and replaced quinoa with brown rice. I did have a little container of chia but haven’t replaced it.

If you’re looking to eat healthy on a budget, there are a couple of tips that I can’t recommend more highly. First, buy dried pulses and cook them on your own. They cost pennies, they’re healthier than the canned varieties, and you’re reducing waste by doing it.

Use spices to brighten otherwise simple meals, like cinnamon, turmeric, and ginger. Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables and look in the frozen section for things like spinach and peas. Frozen is just as healthy, almost always cheaper, and you don’t need to worry about forgetting it in the fridge and having to throw out food.

This healthy chickpea stew utilizes seasonal pumpkin, cooked chickpeas, coconut milk, and lots of warm spices to make it a little more interesting. I usually add tomatoes to my stews but left them out the first time I made it because it was a Sunday and the shops were closed.

Not adding tomatoes made the stew much cozier and let the spices really shine. I added spinach after my first trial and you could leave it out, but it helps to boost the nutrition content. Choose either fresh or frozen, or sub in hardier winter greens like kale. Served over brown rice it’s a filling meal that’s perfect throughout fall and winter.

I love making soups and stews during the colder months – this one is a favourite, alongside my carrot red lentil soup, potato lentil stew, and kale and white bean soup. They’re a great way to stretch a bare looking pantry and make good use of frozen or hardy vegetables, plus being very budget friendly.

Don’t forget to keep your pumpkin seeds! Scoop the seeds and separate them from the flesh, then soak overnight, dry on a board for a few hours, and roast at 150C/300F with a little oil and salt for about forty minutes or until golden and crunchy. They’re high in protein and good fats, and they’re very satisfyingly crunchy. Pictured in the stew here is a butternut squash (also a type of pumpkin) but you can use any winter squash.

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This post was updated February 2019 with new photos and some small recipe adjustments.