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🌿 Mediterranean
Lebanese Chickpea & Tomato Stew
⏱ 35 min
🍞 ~28g (stew alone) | ~43g (kid-default: stew + ⅓ cup real basmati or 1 small pita)
🍽 4 servings
⭐ 3/5
⚠️ Estimates only — not medical advice. Carb counts vary by brand and portion. Always verify with your endo or CDCES.
🌍 Cultural note
Every Lebanese kitchen has a version of this — quick, cheap, holy with cumin and lemon. My teta called it "what's-in-the-pantry stew." Serve it over rice for a full meal or with warm pita for dipping.
Why this recipe is T1D-friendly
- Chickpeas are slow carbs — high fiber (8g per serving!) blunts the spike beautifully
- The fiber + olive oil + protein math makes this one of the most predictable Mediterranean meals for dosing
- Plant-based protein (~11g per serving) — great meatless Monday option
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (60g total)
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes (12g total)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (6g total)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1g)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (0g)
- 2 tsp ground cumin (0g)
- 1 tsp ground coriander (0g)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (0g)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional, skip for kids) (0g)
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth (2g total)
- 1 lemon, juiced (3g total)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (1g total)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (1g total)
- Plain Greek yogurt, for serving (~2g per dollop)
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add onion, cook 5 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne (if using). Stir 30 seconds — let those spices wake up.
- Pour in diced tomatoes with juices. Simmer 3 minutes, breaking up tomato chunks with your spoon.
- Add chickpeas and broth. Bring to a low simmer.
- Cook uncovered 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken and the chickpeas get tender.
- Mash a few chickpeas against the side of the pot — this thickens it the Lebanese way.
- Off heat: stir in lemon juice and most of the herbs. Taste for salt.
- Ladle into bowls, dollop with yogurt, shower with remaining parsley and cilantro.
Dash's kid tips 🐆
- Dash's hack: blitz half the stew with an immersion blender for picky kids. "Tomato chickpea soup" gets eaten; "stew" gets refused.
- For a snack-sized portion (~14g carbs), serve a small bowl with cucumber sticks on the side.
- Leftovers are even better day 2. The cumin gets cozier.