Happy Heart Health Month! February is one of my favorite months – horrid weather in Seattle aside – I love Valentine’s Day and it’s also my birthday month. Celebrating heart health is important to me as a dietitian because cardiovascular disease is a threat to us all and I spend a lot of time educating people on how to improve their cholesterol levels or lower their blood pressure. You know the drill: exercise, work on relaxation, and eat “right”. But heart healthy eating has a lot of components. With that in mind, I made my Apricot Tomato Chickpea Vegetarian Stew packed with fiber and antioxidants that support the heart.
We all should be getting a lot more fiber and it’s actually pretty easy if you eat veggies, fruits, whole grains and beans throughout the day. Luckily, Apricot Tomato Chickpea Vegetarian Stew has all of those things together in one dish. Apricot lends sweetness to balance the natural acidity in tomato and red pepper, while spices including chili powder, nutmeg, turmeric and cinnamon brighten the dish and add complexity. When balanced with healthful and fiber-packed whole grain like brown rice or quinoa, this dish is a simple and easy to make dish. Fantastic for leftovers, pack some in a container to go for a flavorful lunch the next day.
If you need some other quick, simple meals with heart healthy ingredients, check out my:
Double Tomato, Basil and Ricotta Homemade Pizza, Garden Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, Sheet Pan Teriyaki Tofu with Pineapple and Veggies

Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Tablespoon ginger root (freshly grated)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 Tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup dried apricots (roughly chopped)
- 1-14 oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1-14 oz diced tomatoes (not drained)
- teaspoon ½chili powder
- teaspoon ½salt
- 3 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa
- cup ¼fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Warm oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onions, garlic, ginger, and bell pepper for 3-5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add turmeric, nutmeg and cinnamon, stirring constantly, for 1-2 additional minutes. Add vegetable broth to the mixture and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add apricots, chickpeas, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt. Cover and switch to medium-low heat. Allow to gently simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Ladle stir-fry over warm brown rice or quinoa. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot. Also makes great leftovers!
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Ginger Hultin,MS, RD, CSO
Thanks for visiting! If you’re like me: obsessed with eating, wine, going out and traveling, you’re in the right place. Champagne Nutrition® LLC is a Registered Dietitian-run concierge virtual practice helping clients look and feel better. On this blog, you’ll find cocktails, mocktails, and plant-based recipes that are easy to make quickly at home and pack for leftovers on your adventures.
[…] Apricot Tomato Chickpea Vegetarian Stew from Champagne Nutrition […]
[…] people recipes that include iron-rich vegan foods that also have a good vitamin C source like this Apricot Chickpea Vegetarian Stew,” says Seattle-based dietitian and health writer, Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, CSO, […]
This was delicious and I will make it again! Next time I will make it with diced tomatoes as this time I only had crushed tomatoes and I think it possibly made it a lot thicker but either way it was so delicious – I loved the abundance of spices!
Oh I’m so glad! Enjoy!
[…] recipes that embrace iron-rich vegan meals that even have a very good vitamin C supply like this Apricot Chickpea Vegetarian Stew,” says Seattle-based dietitian and well being author, Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, CSO, […]