Leek, Chickpea and Spinach Stew with Roasted Fennel and Walnut Sage Pesto
This leek, chickpea and spinach stew is one of those recipes where every component matters and builds on the last. Tender chickpeas simmer with leeks until they're properly soft and flavourful, then get folded with a vivid green garlic and spinach sauce that stays bright and fresh. Caramelised roasted fennel adds sweetness and depth, while the walnut and tarragon pesto brings crunch and herbal complexity. There are a few elements to prepare but the techniques are straightforward and everything comes together beautifully. It's hearty enough for a cold evening but feels light and vibrant rather than heavy. Serve it with good bread for mopping up every last bit.
Leek, Chickpea and Spinach Stew with Roasted Fennel and Walnut Sage Pesto
Tender chickpeas simmered with leeks and folded through vibrant green garlic spinach sauce, topped with caramelised fennel and crunchy walnut sage pesto. Hearty, nourishing and impressive.
Ingredients
- 1 large leek, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- Small glass white wine (optional)
- 1 jar Bold Bean chickpeas with juice (570g)
- 350ml vegetable stock
- 2 fennel bulbs, cut into quarters
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 75g toasted walnuts
- Small handful tarragon or sage, leaves picked
- 2 tsp capote capers, rinsed
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- Olive oil, to loosen
- 2 large whole garlic bulbs, tops cut off
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 150g frozen spinach (4 balls)
- 150ml hot water or vegetable stock
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Drizzle the garlic bulbs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap the bulbs tightly in foil and on a baking tray and place in the oven. Roast for around 1 hour until the cloves are soft, golden and completely caramelised.
- While the garlic roasts, heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over low heat. Add the sliced leeks and shallot with a generous pinch of salt. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and slightly translucent, around 15 minutes. Don’t let them brown.
- Toss the fennel quarters with lemon zest and juice, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange them snugly in a deep baking dish (around 5cm deep), cover with foil and place in the oven alongside the garlic. Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning once halfway through, until deeply caramelised at the edges and tender in the centre. If they start to char too much, add a splash of water or an extra squeeze of lemon juice to the dish
- Once the leeks are soft, add the crushed fennel seeds to the pan and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the white wine (if using) and let it bubble and reduce by half.
- Add the chickpeas along with their jar liquid and the 350ml vegetable stock. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cook for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are very tender and the liquid has reduced and thickened into a loose, stew-like consistency.
- Remove the roasted fennel from the oven and immediately squeeze lemon juice over the hot wedges. Set aside.
- Make the walnut sage pesto by finely chopping the toasted walnuts, sage (or tarragon), and capers together until you have a coarse, textured mixture. You can also pulse them briefly in a food processor, but don’t over-process. Stir through the lemon zest and grated garlic, then add enough olive oil to loosen it to a spoonable consistency. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper.
- When the chickpeas and fennel are nearly ready, make the green garlic sauce. Remove the roasted garlic bulbs from the oven, carefully open the foil and let them cool slightly until you can handle them comfortably. Squeeze the soft garlic cloves from their skins into a blender. Add the frozen spinach balls, lemon juice, the 150ml warm water or stock, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth and bright green.
- Fold the green garlic sauce into the chickpea base on the stove. Stir gently and let it warm through for just 2 minutes. Don’t cook it any longer or the sauce will lose its vivid green colour.
- Spoon the stew into wide, shallow bowls or onto plates. Top with the roasted fennel quarters and finish with a generous spoonful of the walnut sage pesto. Serve immediately with warm crusty bread or toasted sourdough.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
680Fat
38 gSugar
14 gProtein
22 gCarbs
58 gApproximate values per serving
Ingredients and Sourcing Tips
Chickpeas
Bold Bean chickpeas are worth seeking out. They're creamier, hold their shape better than tinned chickpeas, and the jar liquid (aquafaba) is seasoned which adds flavour to the stew. If you can't find them, use good quality jarred or tinned chickpeas. You can add the liquid from the jar or tin for extra flavour, or drain them if you prefer a thicker stew.
Leeks
Look for firm, fresh leeks with bright green tops. Trim off the darker green tops, then slice the leek lengthways several times before chopping into 1cm pieces. Wash thoroughly after chopping - soil gets trapped between the layers and it's much easier to rinse it out once the leek is cut up rather than trying to wash it whole.
Frozen spinach
Frozen spinach balls are already blanched, so they’re perfectly safe to blend straight from frozen. This is a brilliant shortcut for adding greens without any of the washing, draining and squeezing that fresh spinach requires. The sauce stays vibrant and doesn’t taste grassy or raw.
Garlic
Whole roasted garlic bulbs become sweet, mellow and almost caramelised. Don’t substitute raw garlic - the flavour won’t be the same. Two bulbs sounds like a lot but once roasted, the flavour is subtle and rich rather than harsh.
Fennel
Look for firm, white fennel bulbs with no browning or soft spots. The fronds can be saved and used as a herb garnish if you like. Trim the very end off the base (too much will divide the sections - you only need to trim the dry bit) and quarter them through the root so they hold together while roasting.
Walnuts
Toast them yourself for the best flavour. Spread them on a baking tray and toast at 180°C for 5-10 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Let them cool completely before chopping. Pre-toasted walnuts often taste stale.
Capote capers
Capote capers are the largest size of caper, meaty and about the size of a small olive. They have a firm texture and bold, briny flavour but always rinse capers well to remove excess salt or brine before using.
Herbs
Tarragon is brilliant here with its delicate anise flavour that echoes the fennel beautifully. Sage works well too and brings an earthy, slightly peppery note that complements the walnuts. Use whichever you prefer or have to hand.
White wine
A dry white wine adds acidity and depth to the chickpea base. If you don’t drink or cook with wine, leave it out entirely or add a tablespoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice for that brightness.
Variations and Dietary Swaps
Different beans
Swap the chickpeas for butter beans or cannellini beans. Both work beautifully and give a creamier, softer texture. The cooking time stays the same.
Greens
Use kale or cavolo nero instead of spinach in the green sauce. You’ll need to blanch it first in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the excess water before blending. Fresh spinach works too - you’ll need about 400g, blanched and squeezed dry.
Nut-free pesto
Replace the walnuts with toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version. The texture and richness will be similar. Toast them the same way you would the walnuts.
Different nuts
Toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts work well in place of walnuts. Hazelnuts give a slightly sweeter, more robust flavour. Pine nuts are more delicate and buttery.
Extra richness
Add a dollop of vegan or Greek yogurt on top of each serving before the fennel quarters for extra creaminess.
More citrus
Stir through some extra lemon zest at the end for a brighter, zingier finish. Orange zest works beautifully too and complements the fennel.
Spice it up
Add a pinch of chilli flakes to the leeks when you add the fennel seeds for gentle warmth. Or swirl through some chermoula or harissa at the end.
Bulk it out
Add diced roasted squash, sweet potato or carrots to the chickpea base for extra vegetables and substance
Kitchen Notes
Timing
The roasted garlic needs the full hour, so get it in the oven first before you start anything else. Everything else can happen while it roasts.
Chickpea cooking
Bold Bean chickpeas are already cooked, but they benefit enormously from a long, very gentle simmer. This isn’t just about heating them through, it’s about letting them become properly tender and absorb all the flavours from the leeks, stock and wine. They should be soft enough to crush easily with the back of a spoon but still hold their shape. Don’t rush this step - 30 minutes is needed.
Roasting the fennel
A deep ceramic or glass dish (around 5cm) works better than a flat tray here. The fennel quarters sit snugly together, which helps them caramelise on the bottom while staying moist and tender inside. A shallow tray will dry them out before they’re properly soft. If you don’t have a ceramic dish, use a roasting tin.
Green sauce timing
Make this at the last possible minute to preserve its bright, fresh colour. The frozen spinach warms through when you blend it with the hot water/stock and roasted garlic, but it doesn’t cook, which is why it stays so vibrant. Don’t add it to the chickpeas until everything else is ready to serve, and only warm it through for 2 minutes.
Pesto texture
The walnut sage pesto should be coarse and textured, not a smooth paste. It’s there to add crunch and contrast against the soft chickpeas and tender fennel, so don’t over process it. You want visible pieces of walnut, not a paste.
Make ahead
You can make the chickpea base up to 2 days in advance and store it covered in the fridge. The roasted garlic can be done a day ahead too but it will be harder to squeeze out the cloves when cold. Make the green sauce and pesto fresh when you’re ready to serve. Reheat the chickpeas gently with a splash of stock, make the sauce, assemble and serve.
Consistency
The final consistency should be like a loose stew - the chickpeas should be sitting in a flavourful, slightly thickened liquid that’s sauce-like. It shouldn’t be dry, but it also shouldn’t be soupy. If it looks too wet after 30 minutes, turn up the heat slightly and let it reduce for another 5 minutes. If it’s too thick, add a splash more stock.
Storage
The chickpea base keeps really well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Store the green garlic sauce, roasted fennel and walnut pesto separately in the fridge, all in separate containers.
To reheat, warm the chickpea base gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water or stock to loosen if needed. Warm the fennel, covered, in a moderate oven (160°C) for 10-15 minutes. Make fresh green sauce if possible for the best colour and flavour, or gently reheat the sauce separately in a small pan and fold it through at the last minute. The pesto can be used straight from the fridge or brought to room temperature.
The walnut pesto will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge if you cover the surface with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation and browning.
This stew doesn’t freeze particularly well because the green sauce loses its vibrant colour and the fennel texture suffers, but the chickpea base on its own freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and make the green sauce, fennel and pesto fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
How to serve
Spoon the stew into wide, shallow bowls or plates so you can see all the components. Top each portion with a fennel quarter or two and a generous spoonful of the walnut sage pesto. The pesto should sit on top rather than being stirred through so you get that textural contrast with every bite.
What to serve alongside
Warm crusty bread or toasted sourdough is essential for mopping up the sauce. You don’t really need anything else with it but a simple green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil cuts through the richness beautifully. Steamed green beans or sprouting broccoli work well for a extra vegetable accompaniment.
Drinks to pair
A crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Vermentino pairs beautifully and echoes the wine in the cooking. A light red like Pinot Noir or Beaujolais works too. For non-alcoholic options, try sparkling apple juice, elderflower cordial with soda water, or a herbal tea like fennel or mint.
Leftovers
This is excellent the next day but the spinach will loose its vibrancy. The flavours meld and deepen overnight. Reheat gently and serve with a fried or poached egg on top for breakfast or brunch. Or stir through cooked pasta for a quick dinner
