Hearty Sausage & Chickpea Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Rice

When the weather cools down (or when you just need a bowl of comfort), nothing hits the spot like a rich, flavorful stew. My Sausage & Chickpea Stew is loaded with bold spices, tender sweet potatoes, carrots, and plenty of garlic. Add in chickpeas for protein and heartiness, and you’ve got a balanced one-pot meal that’s both comforting and nourishing.

This stew is versatile—you can make it as spicy as you like with Fresno peppers and crushed red pepper, or tone it down with just a touch of heat. I love serving it over fluffy jasmine rice for a complete, cozy dinner that warms you from the inside out.

Sausage & Chickpea Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the Stew:

1–2 pounds hot Italian pork sausage, removed from casing
1 large yellow onion, peeled and minced
2 sweet potatoes, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
6 large cloves garlic, minced
2 red Fresno chili peppers, minced
2 large pinches of crushed red pepper (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
4–5 cups chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can organic diced tomatoes
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Rice:

1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice
1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil
2 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage:

Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sausage and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, for 10–12 minutes until well-browned and cooked through.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a paper towel–lined bowl. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot.

2. Cook the vegetables:

On medium heat, add the onion, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the garlic and Fresno peppers (plus extra crushed red pepper if desired). Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add butter and let it melt. Stir in thyme and stir until vegetables are coated. Then add the tomato paste, cooking for a minute or two until the paste deepens in color.

3. Simmer the stew:

Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the sausage to the pot along with chickpeas and diced tomatoes.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Cook the rice:

While the stew simmers, rinse the rice thoroughly (I rarely rinse). Place in a small – medium pot with 2 cups water, olive oil, and salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, then cover.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until cooked. Turn off the heat and let rest for 5–10 minutes.

5. To serve: