This pork stew with chickpeas is hearty, rustic, and deeply satisfying. It slow-cooks with just a handful of honest ingredients and rewards you with tender pork, soft chickpeas, and layered, earthy flavors that taste like home.
If you’re a fan of our delicious Pork Stew With Chickpeas, you’re in for a treat with our Pork and Beans, Greek Beef Stew-Stifado, and Greek Lamb Stew Avgolemono!
Overview
Why you will love this pork stew
Here is what you need
- Pork shoulder – A forgiving, flavorful cut that loves slow cooking. Browning it first renders some of the fat and gives the edges a little crispness while keeping the inside meltingly tender.
- Chickpeas – Also known as garbanzo beans. Use dried chickpeas for the most authentic texture or canned for convenience. Instructions for both methods are below.
- Onion – Roughly chopped or diced, it melts into the stew and adds sweetness and depth.
- Wine – Dry white or red both work beautifully. Substitute with veggie or chicken stock.
- Canned tomatoes – San Marzano is my pantry hero, but if tomatoes are in peak season, fresh ripe ones are fantastic too.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – Your flavor bomb. They bring a savory depth (the famous Japanese “umami”) and intensify the stew’s richness.
- Extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, cumin – The essential flavor foundation.
How to make this pork stew
If using dry chickpeas
- Soak chickpeas overnight in plenty of water.
- Thirty minutes before cooking, drain, rinse, place in a bowl, cover with fresh water, and add 1 tablespoon baking soda.
- Rinse well, then transfer to a pot with plenty of fresh water.
- Bring to a boil and cook until soft but not falling apart.
- Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid for the stew.
If using canned chickpeas
- Drain both cans and save the liquid from one of them.
- Mix the saved liquid with 1 cup water.
- Set aside for the stew.
- Heat the oven to 155°C / 315°F degrees.
- Pat the pork with a paper towel to blot any extra moisture. Season with sea salt and pepper.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in an ovenproof pot (like a Dutch oven).
- Add 3-4 pork pieces and brown all over. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all are browned.
- Move all the pork back into the pot on high heat. Carefully add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
- Add the onions, chickpeas, and tomatoes and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper (to taste). Stir gently. If needed, add a little saved chickpea water.
- Cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook for 60 minutes.
- Stir and add the sun-dried tomatoes, cover and continue cooking in the oven for 30 more minutes.
- Uncover, add a little chickpea water if needed, stir, and continue cooking for 30 more minutes.
- Let the pork stew sit for 15 minutes. Adjust sea salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Pro Tips
- Dried chickpeas vary in soaking time. I love the small Italian sultano variety that needs only about 2 hours.
- Swap tomatoes for 2 tablespoons tomato paste diluted in 1 cup of water.
- If avoiding wine, use 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock.
FAQs about pork pot roast
Serving suggestions
- Salad. A traditional horiatiki suits every meal. A large lettuce salad with feta is also great.
- Rice. Make your favorite rice or try our pilafi.
- A dip. Use it as a sauce. Tzatziki, skordalia, hummus, or whipped spicy feta are delicious.
- Bread. The sauce begs for some bread dipping! Our olive oil bread will help with that!
- Crispy veggies. Our fried zucchini or eggplant slices are delicious and add a crunchy texture to this pork stew.
Storage and reheating
- Store: Let the stew cool completely, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavors deepen beautifully, so day-two stew might even steal the show.
- Freeze: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Chickpeas hold up well, and the pork becomes even more tender after thawing. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce.
- Microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between.
- Note: If the stew thickens in the fridge, that’s normal. A little water, chickpea liquid, or broth brings it right back to life.
More Greek stews
Pork Stew With Chickpeas
This slow-cooked Creatan pork stew with chickpeas is hearty and delicious. It has a few simple ingredients and delicate, rustic flavors.
Equipment
- A 5 QT dutch oven or an oven proof pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas Please see the recipe notes.
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 cup dry white wine or dry red wine
- 14 oz tomatoes canned or fresh, roughly chopped
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes roughly chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 155°C / 315°F degrees.
- Pat the pork with a paper towel to blot any extra moisture. Season with sea salt and pepper.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in an ovenproof pot (like a Dutch oven).
- Add 3-4 pork pieces and brown all over. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all are browned.
- Move all the pork back into the pot on high heat. Carefully add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
- Add the onions, chickpeas, and tomatoes and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper (to taste). Stir gently. If needed, add a little saved chickpea water(see recipe notes).
- Cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook for 60 minutes.
- Stir and add the sun-dried tomatoes, cover and continue cooking in the oven for 30 more minutes.
- Uncover, add a little chickpea water if needed, stir, and continue cooking for 30 more minutes.
- Let the pork stew sit for 15 minutes. Adjust sea salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Notes
Dried chickpeas versus canned
One cup of dry chickpeas will yield 3 cups of cooked chickpeas. For this recipe, ½ pounds of dried chickpeas (about 2 cups), will yield about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.Making this stew with dried chickpeas
- Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. Half an hour before cooking, rinse them well, put them back in a bowl, and add plenty of water and a tablespoon of baking soda.
- Rinse chickpeas well and add them to a pot with plenty of water. Bring them to a boil and cook until soft but not mushy. Save 2 cups of chickpea water and set it aside for later.
Making this stew with canned chickpeas
Drain the chickpeas in a bowl using a colander. Save the liquid from one of the cans and mix it with a cup of water. Set aside for later. Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on products used.Nutrition
Calories: 368kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 28gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 130mgPotassium: 1422mgFiber: 9gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 757IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 7mg
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This is such a comforting cozy meal especially in this chilly weather. Will make it again for sure.
Love the unique combo in this stew recipe.
Such a flavorful and delicious dish. Thanks for sharing.
Oooh, I love learning about different wedding foods! This looks like a nice, filling way to get life started together. 🙂
Yes, it is! Thanks so much Alex
This is odd but I’ve never used chickpeas in anything but cookies. It’s time I give them a try! This sounds like a great recipe to try.
Hey Erin! Chickpeas are delicious in this stew. Hope you will like them! Thanks so much, Jenny
This stew looks so tender and delicious, with that great combination of pork, chickpeas and tomatoes. I had not known what fond was – nice to learn a new term.
Hi Beth! The combination is indeed really delicious. Hope you will like it! Thanks so much, Jenny
I’ve been to Crete twice and loved the food, especially in the inland, mountain restaurants! I ate honeycomb for the first time there! Anyway, this pork and chickpeas looks really delicious. makes me think of rustic old fashioned recipes. What here in Italy we call ‘la cucina povera’! On my to make list!
Hi Jaqueline. We call it the same only in Greek too! Το φαγητό του φτωχού. It’s the best, isn’t it. Thanks so much!
I hope you will love this stew, Melanie. Thanks so much!
Every time I “invent” a new recipe, I google the ingredients and discover somebody else thought of it first. But I’m so glad I found your website. There are a dozen more wonderful recipes here that are out of the ordinary and very appealing. You have joined my shortlist of favorite recipe sites
Hi MC,
Your comment made my day (week, year).
Thank you so much.
x Jenny
Loved this recipe but modified it a bit. Used ground pork instead of butt (didn’t have it), cooked in stock pot, drained fat, set aside. Sautéed onion in bacon fat in fry pan, added diced yellow bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic and cumin. Added wine and let simmer a few minutes then canned tomatoes and chickpeas. Let cook 10 minutes then added veggie mix to meat. A little chicken broth and V-8 helped to give it some body. Salt and pepper to taste plus a sprinkle or two of cayenne, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder. Finished with a small bag of frozen spinach for some color and extra nutrients. Simmered half an hour to let flavors meld. Delicious! Maybe more Southwest or Italian than Greek but thank you for your recipe!
I love your modifications, I will try some as well. My husband loves jalapeños so I will add some.
Thank you Mary! X Jenny