Nigerian chickpea and vegetable stew

Name: Nigerian chickpea and vegetable stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 portions

A meat-free stew of chickpeas with tomato, pepper and mixed vegetables. Contains plant protein, fibre, iron and vitamin C-containing vegetables, which can help with the absorption of non-haem iron.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 55 min
Portions: 4

Easy
Trying to conceive
Preparing for pregnancy
Vegetarian
Vegan
Fibre-rich
Iron-containing
Budget-friendly

Make this recipe

Portions

Ingredient quantities update automatically. Cooking times may need a little adjustment when you change the batch size.

Swap an ingredient

Only swaps that keep this recipe pregnancy-safe are offered. Allergen information below updates when you choose one.

Ingredient unavailable: use black-eyed beans instead of dried chickpeas
Ingredient unavailable: use okra or shredded cabbage instead of green beans

Ingredients

For 4 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

300 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 2 tins, drained)
4 medium tomatoes, washed and blended
1 medium tatashe (red bell pepper), washed and blended
2 medium carrots, washed and diced
150 g green beans or okra, washed and sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp groundnut oil

This recipe contains foods that can contribute to a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy.

Method

Step 1. Boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for 45–60 minutes until tender, then drain. Tinned chickpeas need only rinsing.
Step 2. Heat the oil and soften the onion for 4 minutes.
Step 3. Add the blended tomato and pepper and cook for 10 minutes until reduced.
Step 4. Add the carrots and 200 ml water and simmer for 8 minutes.
Step 5. Stir in the chickpeas and green beans and simmer for a further 6 minutes. Serve with rice, yam or bread.

Allergens for your selection

No declarable allergens in the ingredients as currently selected.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Food safety

Wash fruit, vegetables and leafy greens in clean water before cooking or eating raw.
Cook eggs, chicken, meat and fish thoroughly, and keep raw and cooked foods on separate boards and plates.
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate where you have reliable power, and reheat once until piping hot throughout. If refrigeration is unreliable, cook only what you will eat.
Anyone planning a pregnancy is generally advised to take a daily folic acid supplement before conception — ask your doctor, pharmacist or fertility clinic what is right for you.

Allergens

No common declarable allergens are listed in this recipe's ingredients.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Supplements and drinks

The Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization advise a daily folic acid supplement (usually 400 micrograms) before conception and through early pregnancy to help prevent neural tube defects. Folate-rich foods such as ugu, soko and beans do not replace the supplement. Buy supplements that carry a valid NAFDAC registration number from a registered pharmacy, and ask your doctor whether you need a higher dose.
Iron and folic acid supplementation is routinely recommended in pregnancy in Nigeria, and anaemia is common. Ask your doctor or antenatal clinic which supplements you need rather than buying combinations yourself, and check that any product is NAFDAC-registered.
There is no known safe level of alcohol in pregnancy, and locally brewed drinks vary widely in strength, so the safest course when trying to conceive is none. Keep caffeine moderate — around 200 mg a day, roughly two mugs of instant coffee. Recipes here contain no alcohol.

Sources

Food-based dietary guidelines for Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria and FAO, reviewed 4 September 2026
Healthy diet — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026
Five keys to safer food — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026

Important information

Antega's Trying to Conceive Recipes are for general information and meal inspiration for anyone hoping to conceive, including partners. They are not a personalised diet plan, they are not fertility treatment, and no food or recipe can be said to improve fertility or guarantee conception. They do not replace advice from your doctor, gynaecologist, fertility clinic or a registered dietitian. Speak to a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes, particularly if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, sickle cell disease, PCOS, food allergies or any other condition.

If you have PCOS, endometriosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, sickle cell disease, a thyroid condition or any other condition, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian how these meal ideas fit your own care plan.