This slow-cooked pork stew with chickpeas is hearty and delicious. It has a few simple ingredients and delicate, rustic flavors.

Pork stew with chickpeas is a recipe whose variations can be found all over Greece. This particular one is from Crete, from the area called Anogeia. It is traditionally cooked and enjoyed on the eve of the wedding.
This Cretan version of this pork stew follows Cretan cuisine’s simple beauty with few ingredients and beautiful flavors.
What is the best cut of meat for this stew
Pork shoulder is a cut of meat that is great for slow cooking and is perfect for this recipe. It is a fattier cut, so I brown the meat first, render some of this fat, turn it a little crispy, and create the fabulous fond full of flavor on the bottom of the pan.
What is fond? The brown particles found on the pan after browning meat or vegetables are known as fond. Usually, the fond is dislodged from the pan’s bottom and is incorporated into a (pan) sauce. That is called deglazing. Fond has a concentrated flavor that creates a beautiful sauce for a steak or sautéed vegetables. In this case, the fond at the bottom of the dutch oven infuses a great flavor to this stew.
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder stew meat
- Chickpeas
- Red onion
- Wine
- Tomatoes
- Sun-dried tomatoes.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Ground cumin
How to make this pork stew
Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. Half an hour before cooking, rinse them well, put them back in a bowl, add plenty of water and a tablespoon of baking soda.

When ready to start cooking, rinse chickpeas well, add them to a pot with plenty of water. Bring them to a boil and cook until soft but not mushy. Save 2 cups chickpea water. (Image 1)
Preheat the oven at 315 degrees.
While chickpeas cook, prepare the meat. Pat pork pieces with a paper towel to blot extra moisture. Season with sea salt and pepper.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch oven or ovenproof pot. Add 3-4 pork pieces and brown all over. Remove browned pieces to a plate and repeat the process until all are browned. (Image 2)

Move stew pieces back in the pot, in high heat. Carefully add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. (Image 3)
Add the onions, chickpeas, tomatoes, and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons cumin, and cayenne pepper (to taste). Stir everything together. You can add a little saved chickpea water if needed. Cover and place pot in the oven. (Image 4)
Cook for 60 min.

Stir and add the sun-dried tomatoes, cover and continue cooking in the oven for 30 more minutes. (Image 5)
Uncover, add a little chickpea water if needed, stir and continue cooking for 30 more minutes. (Image 6)
Let the pork stew stand for 15 minutes. Adjust sea salt and pepper to taste and serve.

- Different varieties of chickpeas need more or less soaking time. If available, I like to use a small Italian chickpea variety called sultano that only requires 2 hours of soaking.
- Substitute dried chickpeas with canned chickpeas.
- Instead of tomatoes use 2 tablespoons of tomato paste diluted in a cup of water.
- If wine is not available or wanted use a cup of veggie or chicken stock.

You may also like:
- Chickpea lemon soup is a beloved soup and is pretty easy to make.
- This old fashioned beef stew recipe has a delicious sauce worthy of lots of bread dipping.
- This delicious chicken stew with lemony cannellini beans makes a rustic, simple meal that will satisfy and comfort.
Check out my Greek pantry staples
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Pork Stew With Chickpeas
Equipment
- A 5 QT dutch oven or an oven proof pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder
- 1 lbs chickpeas
- ½ extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 cup wine
- 14 oz tomatoes
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes roughly chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. Half an hour before cooking rinse them well, put them back in a bowl, add plenty of water and a tablespoon of baking soda.
- When ready to cook, rinse chickpeas well, add them in a pot with plenty of water. Bring them to a boil and cook until soft but not mushy. Save 2 cups chickpea water.
- Preheat the oven at 315 degrees.While chickpeas cook, prepare the meat. Pat pork pieces with a paper towel to blot extra moisture. Season with sea salt and pepper.Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch oven or oven proof pot. Add 3-4 pork pieces and brown all over. Remove and repeat process until all pieces are browned.
- Move stew pieces back in the pot, in high heat. Add the wine and let alcohol evaporate.Add the onions, chickpeas, tomatoes and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons cumin and cayenne pepper (to taste). You can add a little saved chickpea water if needed. Cover and place pot in the oven.Cook for 60 min.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition

First of all, this is such a unique recipe that I’ve encounter. On this recipe, the pork and chickpeas makes a great combination as it blends with each other perfectly. The sauce makes this an enticing for everybody that will see it.
This Pork Stew looks incredibly good. I wish it were on my plate right now! Yum.
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.
What a creative and unique flavor combination! I am LOVING the addition of the chickpeas! This sounds absolutely AMAZING and perfect for those cold winter evenings here! I love that it’s so easy and packed with such incredible flavors!
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 love chick peas so having that in a pork stew sounds like heaven to me! I’ll be adding this recipe to this week’s line up!!
I hope you will love this stew, Melanie. Thanks so much!
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!