Recipe Revisit: Chickpea Stew with Apricots

This was one of those recipes that I made once, thought was wonderful, and then never made again. I couldn’t recall why this stew wasn’t something I wanted to make often, except, perhaps that it has a lot of parsnips in it, which I only tend to use in the deepest of winter, when there’s not such exciting produce to choose from. I did report having some trouble getting the chickpeas cooked properly using the method of the original recipe, so I sort of rearranged things to improve that.

For starters, I cooked the chickpeas first and separately. I think there was too much acid in the stew to cook the chickpeas along with everything else. That may have been what caused them to stay too firm, no matter how long I cooked the stew. This worked well, and also allowed the stew to be cooked in shifts, each taking a little less time than cooking everything all at once. (My schedule demands this!)

The rest of my adjustments involved streamlining the process, making it more like I make other soups and stews: sauteeing vegetables, stirring in spices, stewing the vegetables with the cooked beans, adding the final touches and seasonings, and adjusting the flavors to taste.

This recipe makes a big, big pot of stew, and could probably be halved. It also makes a subtly flavored stew, slightly sweet from all those parsnips with some fruity and floral notes from the apricots. It’s hearty and satisfying. It’s got a healthy nutritional profile with good doses of protein and fiber. It’s also vegan, if that happens to matter to you.

With its fairly mild flavor profile, this stew has plenty of room for other taste improvisations. The natural sweetness makes me think you could add cinnamon and allspice to the seasonings. Lots more spice, in the form of more chile, or curry powder or paste would be good. Other vegetables, such as bell peppers, could replace the parsnips in other seasons. Add some greens, like spinach or arugula.

Overall, this recipe revisit was a success. I made the necessary changes to make the process more approachable. I got more ideas on how to vary the flavors satisfactorily. And, most importantly, I made a big pot of comforting stew to warm us from the inside in this winter that will not end.

Chickpea Stew with Parsnips and Dried Apricots

If you start with cooked chickpeas, you will need 3 ½- 4 cups.

I think you could cut the recipe quantities in half would good results. You could also adjust the spices and seasonings to your personal taste.

If you get your chickpeas (or any dried beans) very fresh, you may not need to soak them before cooking. I usually have good results with a 6-8 hour soak.

12 ounces dried chickpeas

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped carrot, about ½ inch dice

2 cups chopped parsnip, about ½ inch dice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 cups water

2 bay leaves

1 cup finely chopped dried apricots

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Chopped fresh parsley for serving

1. Rinse the dried chickpeas and sort out any debris or chickpeas that don’t look good. Place the chickpeas in a large pot or bowl. Cover with at least 2 inches of water. Let stand 6-8 hours.

2. Drain the soaking chickpeas. Return them to the pot and cover with a few inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook the beans at a low boil until they are soft but not yet falling apart. This could take up to an hour, and can be done a day or two ahead. Drain the cooked chickpeas and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large (6 quart or larger) pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and parsnip. Cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes, or until the onion appears softened and translucent.

4. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook about one minute, stirring frequently. Add the cooked chickpeas, bay leaves and water.

5. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Cook at a gentle boil until the vegetables are very tender, about 35-45 minutes.

6. Stir in the apricots and cook until they are soft. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste the stew for seasonings and adjust as desired, especially for salt and acid. Garnish each serving with chopped parsley.

Makes a big pot of stew, probably about 8 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Split Pea and Vegetable Curry, Stewed Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Onions, White Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Rosemary

One year ago: Curry Carrot Soup

Tomatillo Chickpea Curry

 

I just love it when supper is something to get excited about. This one, which I found while perusing Pinterest, was wonderful, a relatively simple, plant-based concoction with lots of flavor and a healthy nutritional profile. A bit of broiling (or grilling if they weather still allows it) gives some delicious vegetables some depth of flavor and the whole saucy combination is so satisfying.

The star of this chickpea-based curry dish is a perky and zesty green sauce made from roasted tomatillos and poblano chile. The tart and acidic tomatillos make up a thick puree that’s spiced up by the chile and enhanced by fresh cilantro and oregano. This spicy-sour sauce is a great accompaniment for starchy, creamy chickpeas, but they also get a bit of earthy curry powder and some sweet and creamy coconut milk. The whole thing goes over rice, which not only soaks up the delicious sauce, but also builds a complete protein with the chickpeas.

 The flavors of this dish are actually somewhat complex, but the process of creating them is relatively simple. The methods here can serve as an introduction to making saucy, stewy curries with deep flavors without requiring so many ingredients or complicated methods. This is still a practical dish to make for a weeknight supper. And since the leftovers are easy to pack up and reheat, lunch can be something to get excited about, too.

Tomorrow, October 1^st, is World Vegetarian Day, and this would be a great dish with which to celebrate that. You don’t have to be vegetarian (I’m not) to love these flavors or benefit from such a healthy and satisfying meal. This particular recipe is not about replacing animal products, but enjoying plant-based ones in a delicious combination. Something to get excited about indeed!

Roasted Tomatillo and Chickpea Curry

Adapted from Chef de Home

6 medium-size tomatillos

1 medium-size poblano chile

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

3 cups cooked chickpeas (about 2 15-ounce cans), divided

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/3 cup coconut milk

1 cup water

1-2 limes, sliced for garnish if desired

1. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and scrub off the sticky residue. Preheat the broiler or a gas or charcoal grill. Broil or grill the tomatillos and the poblano chile until the tomatillos are charred and soft and the skin of the pepper is charred all over.

2. Remove from the oven and place the tomatillos in the bowl of a food processor. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel of the thin layer of charred skin. Remove the stem and seeds and chop the remaining flesh coarsely. Add to the food processor with the tomatillos.

3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, cilantro, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth. Pour into a medium-size saucepan and place over low heat to warm through. Stir occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, add ½ cup chickpeas to the food processor (no need to clean it out first.) Pulse until well-mashed.

5. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the curry powder and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add ½ cup of the warm tomatillo sauce. Cook and stir about 2 minutes.

6. Add the mashed and whole chickpeas, coconut milk, and water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce is thick. Taste and adjust seasoning, especially salt, as desired. Serve over rice with additional tomatillo sauce and a lime wedge to squeeze over it if desired.

Makes about 6 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Chickpea and Spinach Curry, Winter Squash and Onion Curry with Yogurt Sauce, Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

One year ago: Mozzarella and Olive Baked Pasta

Chickpea and Barley Soup

I more often make soup to use up what’s left in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer than to test a new recipe. Recently, however, I was trying to tidy up some papers when I found a scribbled recipe for a bean and barley soup stuck between the last page and the back cover of a spiral notebook. There weren’t any notes with this recipe, and I had no memory of making it or where it came from, but the ingredient list was promising, and – bonus! - tweaking it just a bit would allow me to use up what was in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer after all.

This soup is delicious and hearty. The chickpeas and barley give it heft, the fennel gives it a unique flavor that remains subtle and not overwhelming, and the tomatoes give it some zip and tang. I used fire roasted diced tomatoes, but you could make great soup with plain diced tomatoes.

I kept the flavorful liquid leftover from cooking the chickpeas, and used it for the majority of the liquid in the soup. I only had about 4 cups, so I added 2 cups of chicken broth, which was serving no other purpose languishing in the refrigerator, to make up the volume. You could use whatever you like for your soup liquid. A lighter flavored broth will allow the flavor of the fennel (enhanced a bit by some basil in the mix) to shine through, but if you had a stronger flavored broth like beef or mushroom stock on hand, those might be pretty darn good with the beans and barley as well.

You could also use different beans in this recipe. I think the original called for white beans, but I can’t be sure because all I scribbled on my notebook paper is “beans”. A softer bean would probably cook down more than the somewhat firm chickpeas, making a thicker soup. There are a lot of ways to go with this if you recognize it as a simple vegetable soup and add what you like. Or what you happen to have in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer.

Chickpea and Barley Soup with Fennel and Tomatoes

You can use other beans, such as white beans or lentils, in place of the chickpeas if desired.

You can use any broth or bean cooking liquid for this soup. I used a combination of the chickpea cooking liquid and chicken broth.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

5 medium cloves garlic, finely minced

1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas

6 cups broth or bean cooking liquid

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 15-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 cup cooked pearled barley

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and fennel are softened and translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

2. Add the beans, broth, black pepper and basil. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

3. Stir in the tomatoes and barley. Cook at a low boil, uncovered for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.

Makes 6-8 servings

Other recipes like this one: Lentil Soup with Winter Vegetables and Kale, White Bean Soup with Bacon, Squash and Kale, White Bean Soup with Fresh Herbs, Chickpea Stew with Dried Apricots