This Simple Chickpea Coconut Stew with Ginger, Turmeric & Kale is my pared down version of Alison Roman’s viral recipe popularly known as “The Stew.” Over the last several years, this is one of the things I cook on repeat. In cooler weather I make it almost weekly. It’s healthy and extremely comforting, packed with superfood ingredients ginger, turmeric, kale, coconut milk, and chickpeas. You can serve it alongside sourdough or flatbread, or on top of rice, farro, or other grains. I think my favorite sidekick is homemade sourdough.
I’m sharing this recipe with you now not only because autumn has begun, but because I’ve made several changes to the original recipe to streamline the process. I think this simplified version can help remove steps and ingredients so you can put this on frequent rotation in your kitchens as well.
First of all, I omit the extra labor of separating the chickpeas after frying them, and reserving half of the chickpeas for a crunchy garnish. I also omit her other garnishes of yogurt and mint leaves. For me the garnishes look photogenic, but actually detract from the simplicity of this cozy dish. Also, the stew is rich enough with the coconut milk, so for my palate I don’t need to add yogurt. I also found that the mint leaves took the flavor profile in an unneeded direction. I have also decreased the amount of coconut milk from the original 2 cans down to 1 can. I think the 2-can version was overly rich. I increase the amount of veg broth to compensate for volume. Feel free to experiment on your own and let me know if you have made your own adaptations. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2-inch piece of ginger, chopped
- salt and black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
- 3.5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 large bunch kale (or other sturdy leafy greens like chard or collard greens), stems removed and leaves chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the onions and sauté several minutes until starting to color.
- Add the garlic, ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté another minute.
- Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas. Add them along with the turmeric and red pepper. Sauté several minutes until starting to color. Use a potato masher to roughly mash them, leaving some whole.
- Add the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 30 minutes.
- Add the kale and simmer a further 10 minutes. Taste for salt.
