Curried Chickpea Stew

This is the exact same recipe as the Moroccan Chickpea Stew, except the spice mix is changed. I think I like this one better, and my kids definitely feel the same way, but both are great!

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Moroccan Chickpea Stew
Adapted from Moroccan Chickpeas + Kale in Melissa Clark’s Dinner in an Instant (pg 103).

Notes: I make this stew in my Instant Pot and wrote the recipe that way, but you could easily sauté all the vegetables in a large stock pot and cook the chickpeas over the stove. If you’re cooking over the stove, add enough water to cover the chickpeas and keep an eye on them, adding a bit more water if necessary. Stove-top chickpeas (if soaked) will cook in 60-90 minutes. Chickpeas that are NOT soaked will pressure cook for 50 minutes and stove-top cook for approximately 90-120 minutes. Soaking improves digestion and saves energy. I recommend it!

Special equipment:
Instant Pot or other pressure cooker

1 lb dried chickpeas
Filtered water to cover by 2-3 inches

Good glug of olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4-5 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 large or 3 medium carrots, diced
Between 1/2 and 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Good grinding of black pepper
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (the whole can / do not drain)
5 1/2 cups filtered water
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped (I use Lacinato here)
Cilantro or parsley, to serve (optional)

About 24 hours before you plan to make your stew, put your chickpeas in a pot and cover with filtered water by about 3 inches. The chickpeas will expand quite a bit; you can add more water if they’re dry at the top.

When you’re ready to start cooking, drain the chickpeas and rinse well.

Turn on the sauté function on the pressure cooker and add a glug of olive oil. As it starts to heat up, add the onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Next add the garlic, stirring, until fragrant. Add in the carrot and ginger and stir this until fragrant as well. If things are looking a little dry, add another glug of olive oil. Next, add the sea salt, spices, and black pepper and stir. Pour in the entire can of diced tomatoes and stir again.

Add in the drained chickpeas and 5 1/2 cups of filtered water. Secure the lid onto the pressure cooker, turn the knob on top to the “sealing” position, and set it to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes; letting the pressure release naturally. (If the chickpeas aren’t quite done at this point, you can pressure cook for another 5 minutes or so, releasing the pressure manually afterwards.)

When the chickpeas are cooked, stir in the chopped kale. I find that the heat is enough to soften the kale without any additional cooking.

Carefully taste for salt level and add more as desired. You can serve this as is or garnished with chopped cilantro or parsley.

Serves 4-6

Tomato Peanut Stew

If you love hearty, spicy soups and stews, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this. It’s deep, nutty, spicy, vegan, filling and full of heart-healthy fats and fiber. As with most soups and stews, this is just as good (or better) the second day. My favorite way to eat this is with a scoop of brown rice. Quinoa is great too. You can up the protein content of the meal by grilling tofu, chicken, fish or shrimp to go alongside.

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Tomato Peanut Stew
Adapted from Peanut Stew with Spinach & Miso (pg 100) in Super Natural Simple by Heidi Swanson

Note: Get to know your curry paste. The recipe that I adapted this from calls for 3 tablespoons. I used that amount the first time I made this and it was extremely spicy. Curry pastes can vary quite a bit in heat. The brand I use (pictured below) runs on the hotter side. Of course, personal preference plays a huge role too! When it doubt, start small and you can always add. This recipe, as written, delivers a modest amount of heat.

Glug of extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
3 medium carrots, diced
1/2 tablespoon red curry paste
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
14.5 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (NOT strained)
3 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon white miso
10 oz frozen spinach, chopped
Brown rice or quinoa, to serve

In a large stock pot, heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat and add the onions and sea salt. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the carrots and sauté for a couple minutes longer. Put in the curry paste and peanut butter and quickly stir, followed by the whole can of diced tomatoes (juices and all). Add the water, bring to a gentle boil, and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

To add the miso, spoon somewhere between 1/2 and 1 cup of stew into a small bowl and fully incorporate the miso before adding it back to the whole pot. This will prevent clumps in your finished stew. (Use this same process if you’d like to add more red curry paste.)

Finish by adding the chopped frozen spinach and simmering for a few more minutes. I usually microwave my spinach on a plate for 1 minute to soften it just enough to make it easy to chop.

Serve with a scoop of brown rice or quinoa, or whatever grain you’d like (if you like!).

Serves 4-6

Mustard Vinaigrette

I’m reposting a recipe that I originally posted almost 5 years ago to reflect how I make it now, which is much easier and more scalable. The original recipe called for thinly slicing and pasting 3 garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle, which certainly isn’t insurmountable, but it’s one of those semi-laborious steps that often stops us from making something despite our best intentions. In my current version, I make a double batch of the original recipe, throw everything into a high-speed blender, let the machine blend it into creamy oblivion, and then pour it into a 32oz mason jar that will keep in the fridge for a good while.

The main benefit of having a tasty vinaigrette ready to go in your fridge is self-evident: you’ll likely eat more salads. And, like all recipes, when you make something at home, you get to control the quality of the ingredients. Even the healthy store-bought vinaigrettes use gums and stabilizers, as well as other oils besides olive oil.

I also use raw apple cider vinegar in this recipe to amp up the health benefits. There is evidence that apple cider vinegar may help regulate blood sugar and support weight loss. And it’s incredibly tasty here.

The olive oil will solidify a bit in the fridge, so I usually spoon out the vinaigrette that I want into a small bowl and microwave it for 10 seconds. If I have more time and I’m still cooking, I’ll set the bowl near the stove to warm naturally.

I hope you enjoy!

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Mustard Vinaigrette
Adapted from the mustard vinaigrette recipe (pg 41) in Cook This Now by Melissa Clark

Special equipment:
High-speed blender

6 medium garlic cloves
Rounded tablespoon sea salt
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

Put all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend it up! This stores well in a 32oz mason jar in the refrigerator.