Ready for this? It’s free of gluten, dairy, and eggs and can easily be made vegan/vegetarian. It’s a “meat free” option that feels rich and filling – even the most “typical” man shouldn’t be complaining. Call me contrarian but when everyone made this “stew” back in quarantine, I passed. I think because I never actually saw it on social media, just heard about it from my sister in law, and the concept didn’t catch in my already overburdened brain. I watched a video of the New York Times writer making her version (I believe this was the original that then got riffed on again and again), and then made my own. Didn’t expect to like it so much (again, contrarian) but honestly it was delicious. Just astonishingly flavorful. My best kid eater ate it up no problem, loved it. The worst ate it with the promise of halloween candy (yes, we still have halloween candy) for dessert, and the second worst eater was at a playdate and will eat it tomorrow.
This seems a lot like curry, though there’s no curry or curry powder. If you don’t like curry I would still give this a try. I served the adults with a generous amount of crushed red pepper flakes, extra cilantro and a drizzle of olive oil. The kids got a scoop of plain Greek yogurt.
Chickpea Coconut Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss chard
Serves 4-6
1/4 c. olive oil
2 onions, diced
1 1/2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tbsp. minced (or pressed through garlic press) garlic
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 (large) sweet potato, cut into small cubes
4 c. canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 cans full fat coconut milk
2 c. chicken/vegetable broth
2 bunches Swiss chard, leaves only, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 c. finely chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems only
To serve – plain Greek style yogurt, crushed red pepper flakes, olive oil, more cilantro
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, and sweet potatoes. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly softened and fragrant (about 5 minutes).
- Add chickpeas, turmeric, and coriander and stir. Let cook about 8 minutes without stirring. Bottom of pan can brown but don’t let it get too dark.
- Add coconut milk and broth and stir, scraping up brown bits. Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add Swiss Chard and stir until wilted.
- Remove from heat and add lime juice and cilantro. Taste for salt.
- Serve with desired accoutrements.
