My Pumpkin and Chickpea Stew with Haloumi is a delicious warming dish where the pumpkin and chickpeas are cooked with tomatoes and spices and finished off with haloumi, yoghurt and coriander. I love it served with rice or flatbreads. It is a tasty one pot wonder.

When pumpkins are a great price I love making dishes like this that hero the pumpkin. This dish is also vegetarian and is substantial enough to serve on its own. Or if you have meat eaters in your house, you can add a steak marinated in Moroccan spices or a piece of grilled chicken breast.

It eats so beautifully, the haloumi goes all oozy while it cooks and it is so unique and simply yum!

Ingredients:

Onion
Garlic
Cumin
Ground coriander
Smoked paprika
Pumpkin
Haloumi cheese
1 can chickpeas
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
Tomato paste
White sugar or honey
Salt and pepper
Greek yoghurt
Coriander
Wedges of lemon
To serve warmed flat breads or steamed rice

How to make Pumpkin & Chickpea Stew with Haloumi :

Get the stew cooking: In a large pan over a medium heat add the oil and then the onions sauté until translucent, around 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add cumin and coriander and smoked paprika. Next the pumpkin and chickpea go in and cook for 2 minutes while stirring so the spices coat them. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Stir and season with salt and pepper

Simmer, add haloumi & serve: Bring to the boil and turn down to a simmer. Simmer slowly for around 25 minutes, by now the pumpkin should be nearly cooked through. Next the haloumi. Cook until pumpkin is cooked through, around 5 minutes. When ready to serve, garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, plenty of chopped coriander and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with warmed flat breads or on a bed of rice.

If you are looking for more delish vegetarian recipes check out my posts for Mushroom Burgers with Beet Relish and Feta Mint & Couscous Salad.

Common questions about Pumpkin & Chickpea Stew with Haloumi :

What can I use instead of Chickpeas? Black Beans would be delicious, you could use butter beans or cannellini beans but add them when you add the haloumi.

What if I don’t like pumpkin? You could use Kumara or sweet potato. Or even potatoes.

What wine would you serve with this dish? I love a deep red like a shiraz with this earthy dish.

Pumpkin & Chickpea Stew with Haloumi

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 onions finely diced
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
800 grams of pumpkin peeled and cut into a 2cm dice
200 g halloumi cheese cut into a 2cm dice
1 x 400g can chickpeas rinsed and drained
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons of white sugar or honey
Salt and pepper
½ cup Greek yoghurt
½ cup chopped coriander
3 wedges of lemon
To serve warmed flat breads or steamed rice.

Instructions

In a large pan over a medium heat add the oil and then the onions sauté until translucent, around 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Add cumin and coriander and smoked paprika.
Add the pumpkin and chickpeas and cook for 2 minutes while stirring so the spices coat them.
Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Stir and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil and turn down to a simmer. Simmer slowly for around 25 minutes, by now the pumpkin should be nearly cooked through. Add the haloumi. Cook until pumpkin is cooked through, around 5 minutes.
When ready to serve, garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, plenty of chopped coriander and a squeeze of lemon.
Serve with warmed flat breads or on a bed of rice.