Vegan Fesenjan (Iranian Pomegranate Walnut Stew)

Fesenjan, also called Fesenjoon, is a deliciously rich stew from northern Iran. It is sweet, sour, and bursts with spices and flavor. Typically, the rich pomegranate walnut stew is made with meat, but in this recipe, I will put a vegan spin on this classic and prepare it with chickpeas only. No matter if as comfort food during a cold winters day or as a refreshing recipe for a hot summer evening, this protein-loaded dish will got you covered. While this vegan fesenjan has some untraditional twists, this luxurious stew tastes absolutely delicious!

Ingredients for Vegan Fesenjan:

• Chickpeas
• Walnuts
• Olive oil
• Onions
• Garlic
• Organic orange
• Pomegranate
• Vegetable stock
• Maple syrup
• Pomegranate molasses
• Parsley
• Mint
• Turmeric
• Nutmeg
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Ground black pepper & salt
• Optional: Young eggplants

The ingredient list for this vegan fesenjan is a bit longer, but this stew is well worth the hassle! The main ingredients are chickpeas and walnuts. You can either use canned chickpeas, or soak and boil dried chickpeas a day ahead when making this recipe. We will grind the walnuts up to give the stew a deep, nutty flavor and nice texture. This stew is tangy and fruity, for which pomegranate molasses and orange are key ingredients. The pomegranate molasses gives this recipe it’s distinct taste. Use an organic orange as we will add the zest as well. To counter the tanginess, I like adding some maple syrup for sweetness. You can alternatively use can sugar or date syrup as well. If you want to add more veggies to this stew, fresh, young eggplants are the perfect choice. Next, this dish gets its rich flavor from lots of spices. The turmeric, nutmeg, cumin and cinnamon pairs so nicely with the orange flavor. Also, a tasty olive oil and vegetable stock (I went with my trusted homemade recipe) add extra depth to this dish. Fresh parsley, mint, and pomegranate round everything off and introduce delicious fresh notes to this rich stew.

Vegan Fesenjan Recipe:

Preparing the Ingredients:

Firstly, pan-toast the walnuts. Giving them an extra toast adds so much flavor! Make sure that your walnuts are nice and fresh, we don’t want bitter flavor. Once toasted, grind the walnuts in a food processor until fine. If you don’t want the coarse texture of walnuts, you can add some vegetable stock until they turn into a smooth paste. I kind of like the walnut texture so I kept mine a bit more coarse. Dice the onions and mince the garlic.

Cooking this Delicious Stew:

Add your olive oil to a deep pot, and sauté the onions until turning translucent. If you are including eggplants, add them now as well. Add the garlic, spices, and orange zest, and sauté for 1-2 more minutes. Your kitchen will already start smelling amazing! If you are using homemade vegetable stock, you will want to have it prepared for the next step.

Next, add the chickpeas, the juice of your orange, maple syrup, and fill up the pot with vegetable stock until the chickpeas are topped off. Add the pomegranate molassis and walnut paste, and bring the stew to a simmer. Simmer for about an hour until the stew has thickened nicely, and the chickpeas are super soft. Check for seasoning. If the pomegranate molassis is too sour, you can balance it with some extra maple syrup.

Finish the stew with fresh pomegranate seeds, and finely chopped parsley and mint. I like adding a few walnuts for decoration. I can recommend to check out this convenient hack to effortlessly remove pomegranate seeds.

Serving Suggestions

I love serving this vegan fesenjan with vegan pilaf rice! Plain simple white rice or tahidg for the more traditional experience will be fantastic, too!

I hope you liked this vegan twist on this classic Iranian stew. My family and I cannot get enough of it! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Some Recipe Suggestions:

• Tahini stuffed dates
• Easy lentil stew
• Musabaha
• Falafel wraps
• Date cookies (Maamoul-inspired)
• Harak osbao
• Ful medames

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