Description
This Chickpea Cacciatore is an easy vegetarian cacciatore recipe with chickpeas and mushrooms simmered in a rich Italian tomato sauce with bell peppers, rosemary, red wine, and capers. A hearty plant-based chickpea recipe that’s perfect over polenta, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Vegan-adaptable.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 16 ounces mushrooms, cut into quarters for a nice meaty bite
- 4-6 garlic cloves (about 1/2 of a medium head)
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine (see notes for substitutions)
- 1 cup flavorful broth (vegetable, chicken)
- 2 bay leaves
- 14-ounce can whole tomatoes *see notes
- 2 x 14-ounce cans (3 cups) chickpeas, drained
- 2-3 teaspoons capers ( or sub 2-3 tablespoons kalamata olives)
- 1 teaspoon salt- adjust to taste depending on the broth and type of salt used
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper- adjust to taste
- Optional: parmesan cheese, pecorino romano cheese, or vegan parmesna
- Serve over creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread.
Instructions
- Sauté the veggies. Sauté onions, mushrooms in olive oil for 5-8 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic, bell pepper and red pepper flakes, saute for 1 minute more.
- Add tomatoes and seasonings. Lower the heat and add tomato paste and rosemary; stir in for a minute to distribute and cook the paste a bit. Add wine and allow to reduce for 3-5 minutes. Add the broth, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, oregano, capers, salt, and pepper. Stir.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil, turn to low heat and simmer for 15- 20 minutes. Cook to desired texture of veggies.
- Adjust flavor. Add salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes if needed. Serve over mashed potatoes, pasta or polenta. Top with parmesan or pecorino if desired.
Notes
Wine adds wonderful depth and richness. If you omit it, add 1–2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar to brighten and deepen the flavor. You can also add dried porcini mushrooms to the broth for an extra layer of savory depth.
Tomatoes. Whole canned tomatoes are often the better choice because they’re typically made from higher-quality, better-ripened tomatoes. You can crush them yourself as needed, giving you more control over texture and a richer, fresher tomato flavor.
Punchy flavor. Add kalamata, black or green olives if desired. Adjust salt accordingly.
To store: Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water, stirring occasionally. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 182
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 338.7 mg
- Fat: 4.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.9 g
- Fiber: 7.2 g
- Protein: 9.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
