Lemony Chickpea and Oven-Dried Tomato Stew

By BobD

Oven-dried tomatoes give this simple stew an astounding depth of flavor. Serve it with greens; roasted meat or poultry like lamb, beef or chicken; or with pan-seared snapper, halibut or shrimp.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• One 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup Oven-Dried Tomatoes, coarsely chopped, plus 4 garlic cloves from the jar
• Crusty bread, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas, oregano, bay leaf and crushed red pepper and season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the herbs are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Simmer the stew over moderately low heat until the broth is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Stir in the Oven-Dried Tomatoes and the garlic and simmer for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Season the stew with salt and serve with crusty bread.