The Batch Lady: Cooking on a Budget by Suzanne Mulholland (HQ, HarperCollins). Image credit Haarala Hamilton.
Veggie Sausage and Chickpea Stew
This warming, one-pot dish is fragrant with the flavour of fennel and paprika
Chickpeas are a great ingredient for bulking out any kind of soup or stew, as they are cheap, tasty and add immediate heft to a meal.
Serves
4
Preparation Time
10 minutes
Cooking Time
5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- 8 vegetarian sausages
- 230g frozen chopped red onion
- 2 sticks celery, finely diced
- 2 tsp frozen chopped garlic
- 1 tsp dried fennel
- 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- Mashed potatoes, to serve (optional)
Method
Heat the oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the sausages and cook, stirring, until browned on all sides. Transfer the sausages to a plate but keep the pan on the heat.
Add the onions and celery to the pan and cook for six to eight minutes, until soft and translucent, then add the garlic, fennel, chickpeas, chopped tomatoes and paprika to the pan. Add a splash of water to each of the tomato tins and swirl around to loosen the juices, then tip this in also and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and leave to cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return the sausages to the pan and stir to combine, then leave the stew to cook for a final 10 minutes.
If you’re serving now:
Divide the stew between serving bowls and serve hot, either as it is or with mashed potatoes alongside.
Zhuzh it up: Add a pinch of chilli flakes along with the fennel and paprika to add a punch of heat to the stew, and serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
If you’re making ahead to freeze:
Set the stew aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a large labelled freezer bag and freeze flat for up to three months. Then remove the stew from the freezer and leave to defrost fully in the fridge, ideally overnight. Once defrosted, tip the stew into a large pan and reheat over a medium hot for five to 10 minutes, until piping hot all the way through.
