Nohut Yemegi (Turkish Chickpea Stew)

On our blog, we love sharing dishes that are cooked in a typical Turkish home. Turkish cuisine is not just about kebabs, there are so many comforting everyday meals.

Nohut yemeği, or Turkish chickpea stew, is one of those classic dishes that people often make during the colder months. It’s a staple main dish in Turkish cuisine.

You can find it served with rice pilav and cacık (yogurt with cucumber and garlic) in many local restaurants (called esnaf lokantasi) as well as workplace and school cafeterias.

When made without meat, it’s a great vegetarian-friendly option, but it can also be cooked with meat. In Turkey, both versions are quite common.

About the Ingredients

Tomato paste (domates salçası) and red pepper paste (biber salçası): These are often used together in many Turkish dishes. You can find them in online stores or Middle Eastern markets. Outside of Turkey, popular brands include Öncü and Bodrum. We use the mild version, but you can go for the hot one if you like.

Peppers: In Turkey, this dish is usually made with çarliston and kapya peppers, but regular bell peppers work perfectly too. You can even skip the peppers if you prefer.

Tomatoes: We like using fresh tomatoes for a lighter and simpler flavor, but canned chopped tomatoes also work well. About ¾ cup would be enough.

Chickpeas: Traditionally, this stew is made with dry chickpeas that are soaked and cooked at home, but we use canned chickpeas for convenience. Try to use large chickpeas if you can,  they hold their shape better.

Spices: We use paprika, cumin, pul biber (red pepper flakes), salt, and pepper. These are all classic spices in Turkish cooking. If you can’t find pul biber, any type of red pepper flakes will do.

Instead of water, you can use vegetable stock for extra flavor. If you’re not vegetarian, chicken or beef stock also works great.

You can find the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Nohut Yemeği

This dish is incredibly easy to make, even someone cooking for the first time can do it! Start by cooking onions, tomato paste, pepper paste, peppers and tomatoes to build a flavorful base.

Then you add the cooked chickpeas and spices, pour in the water, and let everything simmer together until it’s nicely blended and aromatic. That’s it. So simple and satisfying!

Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Serving Suggestions

Nohut yemeği is most often served with bulgur pilavi (our favorite) or Turkish rice pilaf, along with cacık (yogurt with cucumber and garlic) and pickles (turşu). Together, nohut, pilav, cacık, and turşu make a complete and classic Turkish meal. If you’re Turkish, this combination will definitely bring back memories!

At home, just like many Turkish people, we also enjoy this chickpea stew with raw onions on the side, not chopped, but simply quartered, and you peel off the layers as you eat. You can sprinkle a little salt and pul biber on top if you like. Another great option is a simple sumac onion salad, which pairs beautifully with this dish.

And of course, a piece of pide bread would be the perfect match. Nobody can resist that!

Storage and Reheat

Let the nohut yemeği cool completely before storing. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat it in a pot over low heat, stirring occasionally. If it has thickened in the fridge, just add a splash of water while reheating.

It will taste just as good, maybe even better the next day!

You can also freeze nohut yemeği. Once it cools down, transfer it to freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to eat, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then reheat gently on the stove. Add a little water if needed to bring back its original texture.

Can I Add Meat to Turkish Chickpea Stew?

Yes, you definitely can! In Turkey, nohut yemeği is often made both with and without meat. When cooked with meat, it’s called etli nohut yemeği (chickpea stew with meat).

Beef or lamb is usually used. Small cubes of meat are cooked until tender in the pot, then the rest of the ingredients are added and cooked together.

The meat version has a richer, deeper flavor, while the meatless one is lighter and great for vegetarians. Both are traditional and equally delicious!

We enjoy both versions, but we often prefer the meatless one. It’s lighter, quicker to make, and still packed with flavor!

How Can I Use Dry Chickpeas If I Want to Make the Recipe with Them?

If you’d like to use dry chickpeas instead of canned ones, here’s what to do:

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with plenty of cold water. Let them soak overnight, or for about 7 hours.

Drain the soaked chickpeas, transfer them to a pot, and cover with fresh water, enough to go a few inches above the chickpeas. Cook uncovered until they are soft, about 30–40 minutes.

Make sure to skim off any foam that forms on the surface while cooking.

Once they’re tender, you can use the cooked chickpeas along with their cooking liquid in this nohut yemegi recipe.

More Turkish Dishes Like This

• Kuru Fasulye (White Bean Stew)
• Barbunya Pilaki
• Taze Fasulye (Turkish Style Green Beans)
• Patates Kavurma