Redgate Kitchen

otherwise known as chickpea heaven-in-a-bowl

Alison Roman’s chickpea stew is my favorite vegetarian stew. It is colorful, flavorful, and satisfies the palate with every bite. This recipe has broken the internet, I think for very good reason. It can be prepared in less than an hour, keeps well in the fridge (may even taste better the next day), and, well, I think it just tastes like heaven-in-a-bowl. See for yourself and then add it to your repertoire.

ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 (2-inch) piece of ginger, finely chopped
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
• 2 cups vegetable stock (you can use chicken stock if you don’t care about keeping this vegetarian)
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup mint leaves, for serving
•  Yogurt, for serving (optional)
•  Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

steps

1. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft and starts to brown a little, about 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir frequently, so the chickpeas fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they start to get a bit browned and crisped, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside.

4. Use a wooden spoon and further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides. If you would like a more soup-like stew you can crush most of the chickpeas, and crush less if you would like it to be more like a stew.

5. Add coconut milk and veggie stock (chicken stock if you are using that), and season with salt and pepper.

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6. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Stir occasionally while it cooks until the stew has thickened, about 35 minutes. If after 35 minutes you want the stew to be a bit thicker, keep simmering until you’ve reached your desired stew consistency.

7. Remove the stems of Swiss Chard (or whichever greens you are using) and tear them into bite-sized pieces.

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8. Add in the Swiss chard (or other greens) and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt and soften, about 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season with salt and pepper as needed.

9. Spoon it out into bowls and top it with the reserved chickpeas, a dollop of yogurt, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy!