This recipe is the antithesis of fast food. It is a slow, deliberate process that demands you spend time in the kitchen. It is perfect for those deep winter days when the wind is howling against the glass and you want the oven running for hours to keep the house warm.
We start with dried chickpeas and give them the time they need to soften. Then we roast a harvest of root vegetables; turnips, rutabagas, potatoes, and carrots, at high heat to caramelize their edges. Everything meets in a heavy Dutch oven with a wine-infused mushroom base and slow-bakes until the flavors meld into something deep and earth-shattering. It is a wholesome, grounding meal that celebrates the humble ingredients found in the winter cellar.
The Recipe
Yields: 8 Servings | Prep time: 30 minutes (plus 8 hours soaking) | Cook time: 4 hours
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 3 quarts water (plus water for soaking)
- 3 tbsp minced garlic, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1/2 lb whole fresh mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 6 turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
- 4 large red potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 onions, cut into eighths
- 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
Instructions
1. Soak the Beans Sort and wash the chickpeas thoroughly. Place them in an ovenproof 6-quart Dutch oven. Cover with water until the water level is 2 inches above the beans. Let them soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain well.
2. Simmer the Beans Add 3 quarts of fresh water, 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic, and the bay leaf to the beans in the Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Set the beans aside (do not drain the cooking liquid yet, or drain and reserve depending on your preference for thickness, though this recipe suggests keeping them in the pot).
3. Prepare the Mushroom Base Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic, the mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the white wine and tomato paste. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly to dissolve the paste. Add this mixture to the beans in the Dutch oven.
4. Roast the Vegetables Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of garlic, turnips, potatoes, rutabaga, onions, carrots, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss to coat. Spread the vegetables in an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Bake at 500°F for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
5. Assemble and Bake Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C). Spoon the roasted vegetables over the bean mixture in the Dutch oven. Pour the vegetable broth over the vegetables. Sprinkle the top evenly with the breadcrumbs. Bake at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours, or until the vegetables are completely tender and the flavors have married.
If you’ve found value in these recipes and wish to help keep this little corner of the internet quiet and ad-free, please consider Buying Me a Coffee. Your support keeps the hearth warm and allows me to continue sharing these simple traditions without the distraction of ads.
Braised Chickpeas & Roasted Root Vegetables
This slow-cooked meal features tender braised chickpeas and high-heat roasted root vegetables. Baked together in a Dutch oven with herbs and wine, it’s a grounding, hearty vegetarian winter dinner.
Ingredients
Instructions
Soak the Beans
-
Sort and wash the chickpeas thoroughly. Place them in an ovenproof 6-quart Dutch oven. Cover with water until the water level is 2 inches above the beans. Let them soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain well.
Simmer the Beans
-
Add 3 quarts of fresh water, 1 tablespoon of the minced garlic, and the bay leaf to the beans in the Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Set the beans aside (do not drain the cooking liquid yet, or drain and reserve depending on your preference for thickness, though this recipe suggests keeping them in the pot).
Prepare the Mushroom Base
-
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic, the mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the white wine and tomato paste. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly to dissolve the paste. Add this mixture to the beans in the Dutch oven.
Roast the Vegetables
-
Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C). In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of garlic, turnips, potatoes, rutabaga, onions, carrots, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss to coat. Spread the vegetables in an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Bake at 500°F for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Assemble and Bake
-
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C). Spoon the roasted vegetables over the bean mixture in the Dutch oven. Pour the vegetable broth over the vegetables. Sprinkle the top evenly with the breadcrumbs. Bake at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours, or until the vegetables are completely tender and the flavors have married.
