Everyone needs a crockpot. They are inexpensive – I’ve seen them as cheap as $15 – and they make life (cooking) so much easier.

I use a crockpot at least once a week because let’s face it: cooking can be time consuming.  Unfortunately some meal prep is still required, so I often do the chopping the night before… This way I can wake up, place the ingredients into the crockpot, and then simply set it and forget it. I feel like I get a free pass from cooking on crockpot days – but yet, I still end up with a delicious meal. Magic!

I’ll definitely be posting crockpot recipes on here. Most vegan crockpot dishes consist of soups, stews and chili’s. This particular recipe is a Mediterranean Chili. The fresh mint, oregano and lemon zest really bring out the flavor — so don’t skip out on these ingredients.

I served it with a side of pearled couscous, a simple salad, and some whole grain bread – perfect for dipping into the stew. This is a simple, quick-to-prep, tasty, mediterranean-inspired dish that we enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans (about 28 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed & drained (I prefer to use dried beans, which consist of soaking overnight & then cooking. I only do this when I have the time to do so. Can or dried is fine!)

1 can (28 ounces) dives tomatoes

1 can (about 14 ounces) vegetable broth

2 onions, chopped

10 kalamata olives, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoons ground red pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Combine chickpeas, tomatoes, broth, onions, olives, garlic, cumin and ground pepper in crockpot. Mix well, cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3 1/2 hours.

2.) Stir in mint, oregano and lemon peel