Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Chickpeas
on Nov 03, 2016, Updated Aug 07, 2026
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This slow cooker vegetable stew with chickpeas is a cozy, healthy meal you’ll want to make all season long. Packed with potatoes, butternut squash, chickpeas and vegetables in a lemon herb broth, it’s hearty, nourishing and easy to prepare.
Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner, a healthy meal prep recipe or something cozy to enjoy on a cold day, this vegetable stew checks every box. It’s gluten-free, vegan, freezer-friendly and made with simple pantry staples.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for cozy fall and winter meals.
- Easy slow cooker recipe with minimal hands-on time.
- Hearty enough for dinner while still feeling light and fresh.
- Made with wholesome vegetables and pantry ingredients.
- Vegan and gluten-free.
- Great for meal prep and freezer-friendly.
- Bright lemon and fresh herbs balance the rich vegetables.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: These create a naturally creamy texture and help thicken the broth once a portion of the stew is blended.
- Butternut squash: Adds subtle sweetness and texture. You could substitute acorn squash or kabocha squash.
- Onion: Builds the savoury base. Yellow or white both work.
- Carrots and Celery: Add the remainder of the base flavour to help deepen the broth.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves are best here rather than garlic powder. The recipe calls for 5 cloves, you can use 3-4 if preferred.
- Chickpeas: Add protein and texture. Canned and drained keep it easy but you can cook your own from scratch.
- Green peas: Added at the end for freshness and texture. Frozen or canned work.
- Tomato Paste: A small amount deepens the flavour and gives the broth a richer colour without making it taste like a tomato-based stew.
- Vegetable broth: The liquid base. Use low-sodium so you can season to taste. If you don’t have low-sodium, you won’t need season with as much salt.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a little tanginess and depth to the broth.
- Herbs and Spices: You’ll need thyme, bay leaves, rosemary and optional smoked or regular paprika
- Lemon juice: Stirred in at the end to brighten everything.
- Fresh parsley: A finishing handful for colour and brightness. You may also enjoy a bit of dill stirred in or used as garnish.
Recipe Variations
- Make it a soup. For a brothier, soup-style version, increase the vegetable broth to 4–5 cups. You can still do the blending step or skip it so it stays loose and spoonable. Keep the vegetables in smaller, bite-sized pieces so every spoonful gets a bit of everything.
- Make it heartier. Stir in a scoop of cooked rice, quinoa or small pasta at the end, or serve the stew over a grain to stretch it into an even bigger meal.
- Add greens. Stir a couple of handfuls of chopped kale or spinach in during the last 15 minutes of cooking for extra colour and nutrients.
- Switch the beans. Swap the chickpeas for white beans, or use a mix. Cooked lentils work too, stirred in near the end so they don’t turn mushy.
- Change the vegetables. Sweet potato or acorn squash work in place of butternut, and red potatoes or peeled russets can stand in for the Yukon Golds. For a root vegetable version, add a peeled, cubed parsnip or swap in some rutabaga.
- Deepen the flavour. Whisk a teaspoon of white miso into the broth at the very end for extra savoury richness, or add a pinch of smoked paprika with the spices for a subtle smokiness.
- Add a little heat. Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes with the other spices.
How to Make Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened.
- Bloom the paste and spices. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and paprika. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and becomes fragrant.
- Cook stew. Transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker. Add the broth, Dijon, potatoes, butternut squash and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3 hours, until the vegetables are fork-tender.
- Optional thickening. Remove bay leaves. Transfer 1-2 cups of the broth and vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into the pot.
- Stir in the chickpeas and peas, cover, and let sit on warm for 10 minutes to heat through.
- Stir in the lemon juice and parsley off the heat, then taste and season well with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh dill if desired.
Tips for the Best Vegetable Stew
- Season in layers, then taste at the end. Low-sodium broth and a long cook usually need a good pinch of salt at the finish to bring everything together.
- Cut the potatoes and butternut squash the same size so they cook evenly.
- Don’t skip the bloom step. Cooking the tomato paste and spices with the aromatics before slow cooking is what gives the stew its depth.
- Blend for a creamier texture. Pureeing part of the potatoes and squash is what turns a brothy soup into a thick stew, no flour or cornstarch needed.
- Add the lemon off the heat. Adding it at the very end helps to brighten the flavour of the stew.
Recipe Update Note
This recipe was originally published in 2016 as a root vegetable stew and has been updated with an improved method and ingredients. It new version updated in August 2026 sautés the aromatics and blooms the tomato paste for deeper flavour, adds chickpeas for protein, and finishes with fresh lemon and herbs to keep it bright. The original version had parsnips, rutabaga, squash and carrot and used a cornstarch slurry for thickening.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
Slow Cooker Vegetable Stew with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large white onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp paprika
- 3½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes, about 5 cups
- 3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, 1-inch cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 can (19oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup green peas, frozen
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Fresh dill, optional
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and paprika. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and becomes fragrant.
- Transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker. Add the broth, Dijon, potatoes, butternut squash and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 6–7 hours or high for 3 hours, until the vegetables are fork-tender. For the best flavour and texture, cook this stew on low. The longer, gentler cook keeps the vegetables tender without turning mushy and allows more time for the flavours to develop. You can use high only when you're short on time or see the post for Instant Pot instructions.
- Remove the bay leaves. For a thicker stew, blend about 2 cups of the cooked vegetables and broth (use an immersion blender, or transfer to a countertop blender), then stir the puree back in.
- Stir in the chickpeas and green peas. Cover and let sit on warm for 10 minutes to heat through.
- Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Taste and season well with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh dill, if desired.
Notes
Consistency: This makes a thick stew. If you prefer it brothier, stir in extra vegetable broth a little at a time at the end until it’s just right. It will also thicken as it sits, so add a splash of broth when reheating leftovers.
Storage: Let the stew cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: This stew freezes well for up to 3 months. Cool completely, then portion into freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. Thaw in the fridge.
Reheating: Warm on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave. The stew thickens as it sits, so stir in a splash of broth or water to loosen it, then add a fresh squeeze of lemon to brighten it back up, if needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 321kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 73mg, Potassium: 1235mg, Fiber: 14g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 15512IU, Vitamin C: 58mg, Calcium: 135mg, Iron: 5mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Made this several times..I use a pressure cooker so ot only takes 4 min! LOVE it! Any idea on macros?
Macors are in the recipe card at the bottom. Thanks!