March 2025

Chickpea and fennel stew with swiss chard and fried lemon

Name: Chickpea and fennel stew with swiss chard and fried lemon
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and chopped; 2tsp dried mint; 2tsp ground fennel seeds; 2tbsp preserved lemon paste; 1.2 litres vegetable or chicken stock; 450g baby or new potatoes, quartered; 2 × 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 30g mint, roughly chopped; 900g Swiss chard, with stems roughly chopped; 1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed; 2tbsp olive oil; Fried shallots; Full-fat Greek yogurt, or sour cream

Celebrate spring with this light take on chickpea stew

By Colu Henry

27 March 2025

Image may contain Food Food Presentation Meal Cutlery Fork Dish Plate and Produce

Issy Croker

This punchy yet comforting stew relies heavily on pantry ingredients and your spice drawer, and comes together in about 30 minutes. I use preserved lemon paste, but if it is not available, feel free to finely chop half a preserved lemon. Soups and stews are all about toppings and this one calls for store-bought fried shallots and Greek yogurt. While optional, they are recommended for the ultimate spoon-to-sup experience.