Tangy Braised Chickpeas with Carrots and Mushrooms
Tangy Braised Chickpeas
Chickpeas, carrots, and portobello mushrooms braise in a tomato-vinegar sauce until tender, savory, and bright enough for a satisfying vegetarian dinner.
Nutrition (per serving)
This tangy braised chickpea dish turns a few practical ingredients into a slow, cozy dinner with the feel of a classic oven braise. Chickpeas hold their shape while carrots soften into sweet rounds and portobello mushrooms add a deeper, savory note to the tomato-rich sauce.
The sauce starts on the stovetop with onions, garlic, tomato paste, and brown sugar, then gets its lift from vinegar and a small splash of soy sauce or vegetarian Worcestershire. A covered stint in the oven gives the chickpeas time to absorb the broth without needing much attention.
Serve the braise in shallow bowls with crusty bread, mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles. It also reheats well, making it useful for meal prep or for a meatless holiday table where something hearty and saucy belongs at the center.
Use vegetable stock to keep the dish vegetarian, and choose soy sauce or a clearly vegetarian Worcestershire sauce if that matters at your table. The finished sauce should be glossy, tangy, and spoonable rather than dry.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil:4 tbsp
- Yellow Onion, thinly sliced:1 medium
- Garlic Cloves, very thinly sliced:4
- Large Carrots, cut into 1/4-inch coins:2
- Kosher Salt:2 tsp
- Black Pepper:1/2 tsp
- Red Pepper Flakes:1/4 tsp
- Portobello Mushrooms, sliced 1/2 inch thick:6 oz
- Tomato Paste:4 tbsp
- Dark Brown Sugar:1 1/2 tbsp
- Vegetable Stock:3 1/2 cups
- Red Wine Vinegar:1/3 cup
- Soy Sauce or Vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce:2 tsp
- Canned Chickpeas, drained and rinsed:2 15-oz cans
- Bay Leaf:1
- Chopped Parsley, for serving:2 tbsp
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 350°F. Set a Dutch oven or deep oven-safe braiser over medium heat; if you do not have one, use a large skillet and a covered 3-quart baking dish.
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Warm the olive oil, add the onion, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until the slices soften but do not brown deeply.
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Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the carrots, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until the carrots are glossy.
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Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until they begin to relax and release a little moisture.
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Stir in the tomato paste and brown sugar. Cook for about 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the paste darkens slightly and coats the vegetables.
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Pour in 3 cups of the stock, vinegar, and soy sauce or vegetarian Worcestershire. Add the chickpeas and bay leaf, then bring the mixture to a steady simmer.
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Cover the pot tightly and transfer it to the oven. Braise for 90 minutes, checking after 60 minutes; add the remaining 1/2 cup stock if the sauce looks dry or the chickpeas are no longer partly submerged.
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Discard the bay leaf, taste the sauce, and adjust with more salt, pepper, or a small splash of vinegar. Serve hot with parsley scattered over the top.
Tips & Notes
- For a thicker sauce, uncover the pot for the final 10 minutes of braising.
- Use sherry vinegar instead of red wine vinegar for a rounder, slightly nutty tang.
- The braise keeps for 4 days in the refrigerator and reheats well in a covered dish at 350°F.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, or thick toast to catch the sauce.
