This tasty Eggplant & Chickpea Stew is a perfect dinner option for any vegans following the Weight Watchers programs.
It works out as 5 SmartPoints per portion on the Freestyle plan, the myWW Blue plan and the myWW Purple plan and 7 SmartPoints per portion on the myWW Green plan.
Click on blue button in the recipe card below to find out exactly how many Personal Points this stew will be for you! You can even track it directly onto your App (you will need to be logged in to your WW App for this to work)!
So, over the last couple of months I have been asking people who sign up for my newsletter if there are any recipes that they would like to see on the Pointed Kitchen website.
Quite a few people have been getting in touch asking for more vegetarian and vegan recipes.
So I've been playing around with a number of plant based recipes and trying to make them more Weight Watcher friendly.
This Eggplant & Chickpea stew was one that I particularly liked.
I got the idea from a recipe that I found in a newspaper 6 months ago and I have adapted it to be more Weight Watcher friendly.
Now, the portions of this stew aren't large BUT (and this is a big but) it is extremely filling. All the protein in the chickpeas will keep you full and satisfied for hours!
I serve this stew with either a small serving of cous cous for an extra 4 SmartPoints (blue & green plans) or a folded flat bread for an extra 3 SmartPoints (all plans). See serving suggestions further down the page!
If you are looking for more vegetarian Weight Watchers recipes, then how about taking a look here.
How many SmartPoints in this dish?
As I am sure you are aware Weight Watchers changed their program at the end of 2019.
It now includes 3 individual plans, giving anyone following the WW program lots of choice on how they use their SmartPoint allocation.
Using the official WW recipe builder I have worked out the SmartPoints for this recipe for each one of the plans.
- myWW Green plan - 7 SmartPoints per portion
- myWW Blue plan - 5 SmartPoints per portion
- myWW Purple plan - 5 SmartPoints per portion
- the old Freestyle plan - 5 SmartPoints per portion
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What Is Harissa Paste & which kind should I use?
Harissa paste is hot chili paste that originates from North Africa. Most store brought harissa pastes also include garlic, olive oil and other aromatic spices.
Harissa paste is often used as a condiment for grilled meat and fish but can also be stirred into stews and casseroles for added flavour.
It is hot, so if you like your food a little milder you can always half the amount stated.
As store brought harissa paste typically contains olive oil, it can vary by brand in SmartPoint value.
For this recipe, I used a harissa paste that worked out as 4 SmartPoints for 2 tablespoons (30g) worth.
However, you can find a lot of harissa pastes that work out at less than that.
Entube organic harissa paste, available from Amazon here, is vegan friendly & works out at only 1 SmartPoint for 2 tablespoons.
What is Tahini & which kind should I use?
Tahini is a spread that is made from crushed toasted sesame seeds.
It is often used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and North African cuisines, can be eaten as a dip and is one of the ingredients, along with chickpeas, that is used to make hummus.
Like the harissa paste, the SmartPoints in tahini varies between brands.
I used a tahini that worked out at 6 SmartPoints for 2 tablespoons.
This Pepperwood Organic tahini, available from Amazon, works out at 6 SmartPoints for 2 tablespoons. This Kevala tahini works out at 5 SmartPoints for 2 tablespoons.
Serving suggestions
I serve this stew with a small portion of cous cous for an extra 4 SmartPoints (Freestyle, blue & green plans).
If you are following the purple plan, you can serve it with a portion of wholewheat cous cous for no extra SmartPoints!
I have also served this dish with a toasted, folded flatbread for an additional 3 SmartPoints.
Storage & reheating
Any leftover stew can be kept covered in the fridge for a couple of days.
Reheat the stew by warming it in a covered dish in a preheated oven until it is piping hot.
Eggplant & Chickpea Stew | Weight Watchers
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium eggplants / aubergines
- 2 tbsp harissa paste (30g)
- 2.5 cups cherry tomatoes (400g)
- 1 can chickpeas - drained and rinsed (1 x 15 oz can - drained and rinsed)
- 1 zest of lemon
- 2 tbsp tahini paste (30g)
- Water
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas mark 7
- Chop the eggplant / aubergine into 2cm cubes
- In a small dish mix the harissa paste with a tablespoon of warm water and set aside.
- Spoon the olive oil into a large ovenproof dish and place in the preheated oven for 5 minutes to heat up.
- Remove the dish from the oven and place the cubes of eggplant / aubergine in the hot oil.
- Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the harissa paste and give it a good mix around.
- Place back in the oven for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the dish from the oven, give it a quick mix about and return it to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and give it a good stir.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and return the dish to the oven for 20 minutes.
- After the 20 minutes is up, remove from the oven and add the chickpeas.
- Give the mixture a good stir around and return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, stir in the lemon zest and let the stew rest for about 10 minutes.
- Whilst the stew is resting, mix the tahini paste with a tablespoon of water in a small dish.
- Drizzle the tahini paste over the stew before serving.
- Serve with flat bread, pitta bread or a small serving of cous cous.
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