Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook diced onion for 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and grated ginger; cook for another minute until fragrant. Transfer all to the slow cooker.
1 large onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp fresh ginger
Add diced carrots, canned diced tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and smoked paprika into the slow cooker. Stir once to combine. Do not add chickpeas yet. Cover with lid.
3 medium carrots, 1 can diced tomatoes, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1.5 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp smoked paprika
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Stir once halfway through cooking if possible. Check carrots after 6 hours on low; they should be fork-tender. If still firm, cook another hour.
Drain and rinse chickpeas well. Stir them into the stew during the last hour of cooking and replace the lid to let them heat through without becoming mushy.
2 cans chickpeas
Turn off heat. Stir in chopped cilantro or parsley and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Let stew rest for 5 minutes before serving to let flavors meld.
0.25 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, 0.5 lemon juice
