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Crockpot Vegan Butter Chickpeas

Crockpot Vegan Butter Chickpeas (No Dairy!)

Butter chickpeas — or butter chicken's plant-based, considerably more ethical sibling — is one of those dishes that sounds indulgent, tastes indulgent, and happens to be entirely dairy-free
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: crockpot, DINNER, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 2 medium celery stalks diced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon base Better Than Bouillon works brilliantly
  • ½ cup natural peanut butter
  • 1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1½ cups cooked chickpeas garbanzo beans
  • 3 cups fresh spinach chopped
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped peanuts
  • 3 cups cooked whole grains whole grain medley, brown rice, or quinoa
  • Lime wedges for serving

Equipment

  • A large slow cooker — 6-quart minimum for this recipe. You're adding a significant volume of vegetables, liquid, and sauce, and you need room to stir properly. A quality slow cooker with consistent temperature and a tight-fitting lid produces the best results. Brands like Crock-Pot, Hamilton Beach, and All-Clad all perform reliably.
  • A sharp knife and large chopping board — you're dicing a good amount of vegetables. A sharp knife makes this prep genuinely enjoyable rather than a chore.
  • Measuring cups and measuring spoons — for the spices and liquids
  • A wooden spoon or spatula — for stirring everything together in the slow cooker
  • A pot for cooking the grains — whether you use a whole grain medley, brown rice, or quinoa, you'll cook these separately while the stew finishes
  • Serving bowls — deep bowls work best for this stew-over-grains format

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Add the avocado oil, diced onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bell pepper, water, vegetable bouillon, natural peanut butter, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, curry powder, turmeric, salt, black pepper, and ground ginger directly to your slow cooker. Stir well to combine everything — make sure the peanut butter and tomato paste are fully incorporated rather than sitting in clumps.
  2. Step 2: Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 7 hours. The slow cooker does all the work here — the vegetables soften, the spices bloom, and the peanut butter melts into the tomato base creating that rich, creamy sauce.
  3. Step 3: In the last 15–20 minutes of cooking, add the cooked chickpeas and the chopped spinach. Stir to combine and leave the lid slightly ajar so any excess moisture evaporates. The spinach wilts into the stew beautifully.
  4. Step 4: Serve the stew over a bed of cooked whole grains. Top with fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts, and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Notes

Calorie & Nutrition Breakdown (Per Serving — Approximate, With Grain Base)

Nutrient
 Per Serving
Calories
 ~420 kcal
Carbohydrates
 ~48g
Protein
 ~18g
Total Fat
 ~18g
Fibre
 ~11g
Vitamin A
 High (carrots + spinach)
Vitamin C
 Significant (bell pepper + tomatoes)
Iron
 High (chickpeas + spinach)
Potassium
 Very high