This healthy plant-based Gluten-Free Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala is a hearty and easy one-pot recipe that's made with clean, real food ingredients and is ready in about 20 minutes! It's perfect served alone or over rice, and is freezer-friendly, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and Medical Medium® compliant.
Here's Why This Recipe Works
My top 3 favorite reasons:
- It's A One-Pot Meal
- Can Be Ready To Serve In About 20 Minutes!
- Made With Clean Ingredients
The hardest part of making this healthy plant-based recipe is pulling all the spices out of the cabinet!
I gave this traditional recipe a vegan makeover by replacing chicken vegan-friendly chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) and replaced the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk.
The magical spice combination is what transforms this stew from a regular chickpea dish like my Spicy Chickpea and Tomato Soup recipe.
And don't fret when you look at the ingredient list because the majority of the ingredients are the delicious and aromatic spices and seasonings that give this dish its classic flavor.
You can serve this recipe over organic white rice, cauliflower rice or just enjoy by itself, which is how my family likes to eat it.
It's also freezer-friendly so you can even make a double batch and save some for a busy weeknight dinner.
This healthy meal is made with clean, real food ingredients and it's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, oil-free, nut-free and Medical Medium® compliant.
How To Make This Recipe | Step-by-Step Instructions:
You'll love how easy it is to make this plant-based recipe in under 20 minutes and I'll show you how with step-by-step instructions below:
Step 1: Saute the Onions and Garlic
First, saute' the onions and garlic in (2) tablespoons of organic vegetable broth on low-medium heat in a medium-sized pot. If you don't need the recipe to be oil-free, you can substitute with (1) tablespoon of either 100% pure avocado oil or organic extra-virgin olive oil.
Step 2: Stir in the Spices
Second, add all the spices to the saucepan.
You'll need to quickly stir them into the sauteed mixture and continue on low-medium heat.
Stir them until everything is well combined.
Step 3: Add the First Add-Ins
Third, add the first set of add-ins, which are the diced tomatoes and chickpeas.
Increase the temperature to a boil and then reduce it back down to low-medium heat.
Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
While the stew is simmering, use the back of a fork to mash about 3/4 of the chickpeas against the side of the saucepan, which will thicken the sauce.
Step 4: Add the Second Add-In
Lastly, after the stew has simmered, add the entire can of coconut milk into the saucepan.
Stir until well combined and simmer for an additional 5 minutes on low-medium heat.
Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
How To Store:
This dish can be stored in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator and is freezer-friendly.
Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions
Here are some of my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Chickpeas: In this vegan recipe, the chickpeas (aka "garbanzo beans") are used as a substitute for chicken for both protein and texture.
- You will need to drain and rinse the chickpeas before adding them to the recipe. If possible, try to buy organic chickpeas in a BPA-free can.
- While the stew is simmering, take the back of a fork and smash about 3/4 of the chickpeas along the sides of your saucepan. This will thicken the stew and, at the same time, leave some unmashed chickpeas behind.
Vegetable Broth: You can use "salted" or "low-sodium" vegetable broth, just make sure the brand you use doesn't contain citric acid. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the amount of added salt in the recipe depending on whether you use "salted" or "low-sodium" vegetable broth. If you don't need the recipe to be oil-free, you could substitute with (1) tablespoon of pure avocado oil or organic extra virgin olive oil.
Cayenne Pepper: You can reduce or omit this spice if you don't like spicy foods or will be serving this dish to children.
Tomatoes: Fresh organic tomatoes will taste best but if you are in a bind, you can use canned or jarred organic diced tomatoes. However, make sure the canned tomatoes are in a BPA-free can and that both are citric acid-free to be 100% Medical Medium compliant.
Himalayan Pink Salt: This is my salt of preference but you can always substitute it with sea salt.
Optional Preparation Tip: If you will be making rice to go with this dish, you can begin preparing it on the stovetop or an Instant Pot while the stew is simmering. Or even easier...use cauliflower rice!
Serving Size: This recipe will make approximately 6 cups of soup. Nutritional information is for 1 1/2 cups which is (1) serving.
Want More Healthy Plant-Based Meal and Entree Recipes?
Check out these:
- Pumpkin Spice Cauliflower Rice Soup
- Vegan Beefless "Beef" Stew
- Dr. Group's Liver Cleanse Soup
- or my CLEAN EATING Cookbook with 75+ plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Did You Make This Recipe?
I'd love to hear about it! Please give it a rating and leave a comment below...it would make my day! 🙂
Gluten-Free Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
For the saute':
- 2 tablespoons organic veggie broth
- 1 cup organic onions (diced)
- 3 cloves organic garlic (freshly crushed)
For the spices:
- 1 tablespoon organic garam masala
- 2 teaspoons organic ground cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons organic ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon organic ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon organic ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon organic ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
For the first add-ins:
- 2 cans organic chickpeas (13.5-ounce cans, drained + rinsed)
- 4 cups organic tomatoes (diced)
For the second add-in:
- 1 can organic full-fat coconut milk (13.5-ounce can, entire can)
Optional:
- organic white rice or organic cauliflower rice
Instructions
For the saute':
- Add the ingredients for the saute' to a large saucepan and saute' on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are soft.
- Add all the spices and stir until well combined.
Add the first add-ins:
- Add the first add-ins to the saucepan and stir until well combined.
- Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low-medium and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
- While the stew is simmering, mash some or all of the chickpeas on the side of the saucepan with a fork and it will thicken the mixture.
Add the second add-in:
- After the stew has simmered, add the entire can of coconut milk and stir until well combined.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- Let it simmer on low heat for another 5 minutes before serving.
Optional:
- If you choose to make this meal with organic white rice, you can prepare it while the stew is simmering, according to the package instructions.
- Garnish with chopped green onions or fresh cilantro.
Recipe Notes
- You will need to drain and rinse the chickpeas before adding them in the recipe. If possible, try to buy organic chickpeas in a BPA-free can.
- While the stew is simmering, take the back of a fork and smash about 3/4 of the chickpeas along the sides of your saucepan. This will thicken the stew and, at the same time, leave some unmashed chickpeas behind.
Nutrition Information
Hi, I'm Karielyn! I'm the published cookbook author of CLEAN DESSERTS and content creator of The Healthy Family and Home website since 2012. I specialize in creating easy, healthy plant-based recipes that are gluten-free + vegan (with a heavy focus on Medical Medium® compliant) and made with clean, real food ingredients that you can feel good about eating.
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