Make Ahead

Saffron Chickpea Stew

November 19, 2014
5
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

A light and hearty stew perfect for wintertime —Emily | Truefood

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 2-15 ounce cans)
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large carrots, cut on the bias
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (hot or mild)
  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 3 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 1 cup lacinato kale, roughly chopped
  • 4 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Plain yogurt, for topping
Directions
  1. Place pre-soaked chickpeas in a large pot and cover with water, bring up to a heavy simmer and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed to keep them covered. Note: If you’re using canned chickpeas you do not need to do this, they can be added directly to the vegetables as mentioned in step 4.
  2. Meanwhile, in a smaller pot, crumble a large pinch of saffron into 3 cups of stock (or water) and bring to heat. Allow to the saffron to steep in the hot (but not boiling) stock/water for at least 15 minutes.
  3. While the chickpeas are cooking, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the carrot and paprika and cook until the paprika is fragrant, 2 minutes or so. Remove from heat until chickpeas are ready to be added.
  4. Once the chickpeas are nearly tender but still have a slight texture in the middle (about 45-60 minutes) they can be strained (reserve their cooking water) and added to the sauté pan with the vegetables. Pour the saffron stock/water overtop and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until chickpeas are cooked through. Note: Add a small amount of leftover chickpea cooking water if needed/desired to keep the stew on the soupier side.
  5. Stir 2 tablespoons of mint and the chopped kale into the stew, season well with salt and pepper, and cover for about 2 minutes more. Dish the stew into four large bowls and top with the remaining mint and a dollop of plain yogurt. Serve hot.

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