Serves a Crowd

Spiced Chickpeas with Wilted Kale and Roasted Carrots

by:
March 31, 2017
4.6
5 Ratings
Spiced Chickpeas with Wilted Kale and Roasted Carrots
Photo by Julia Gartland.
  • Serves 4-6 people
Author Notes

I recommend this recipe for anyone looking for an easy, delicious, family-style meal. This recipe is also vegetarian and gluten free, so you can make if for a crowd and know that everyone, including folks with dietary restrictions, will likely end up happy and satisfied. There is not a lot of prep involved with this dish, making it ideal for impromptu gatherings or weeknight meals.

Feel free to use this recipe as a guideline and get creative. The shallots can be replaced with onions, leeks, garlic, or any allium. The kale can be replaced with chard or mustard greens. The spice mix is flexible (use curry powder, turmeric, or any other combination of your favorite middle eastern spices). You could even use kidney beans and/or cannellini beans instead of chickpeas. This recipe is all about using what you have on hand to make something hearty and enjoyable. —Josh Cohen

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 pound carrots (I use rainbow carrots when available, they add nice color)
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 shallots, peeled and cut into thin half moons
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon sumac
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon aleppo chile (substitute 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes if you must)
  • 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 bunch red kale, washed, leaves torn into bite size pieces, stems discarded (substitute any hearty greens)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3 tablespoons creme fraiche
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Using a chef knife, remove and discard the top of each carrot. Wash the carrots in cold water, but do not peel them (they look beautiful when roasted with the skin on). Cut the carrots into bite size pieces. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the carrots on the rimmed baking sheet in a single even layer. Toss the carrots with olive oil to coat, and season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the edges begin to caramelize. When the carrots are just cooked through and beginning to brown, remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool.
  2. While the carrots are cooking, set a large skillet over medium heat, and add enough olive oil to barely cover the bottom of the skillet. Add the shallots, and season lightly with salt. Cook the shallots until they become soft and start to turn translucent, stirring occasionally.
  3. While the shallots are cooking, separate the cilantro leaves from the stems. Save the leaves in the refrigerator for later. Organize the stems into a single even pile (like a bunch of chives) and slice the cilantro stems into very thin slivers. By the time you finish dicing the cilantro stems, the shallots should be soft and translucent. Add the diced stems to the skillet, along with the sumac, coriander, cumin, ginger, and aleppo chile. Stir, cooking for 1-2 minutes, until the oil smells fragrant.
  4. Add the chickpeas, and stir to coat them in the flavorful oil. Cook for 2 minutes, to allow the chickpeas to take on some of the flavor of the skillet. Add the kale, and stir to help the kale begin to wilt. Season lightly with salt. When the kale has begun to wilt, remove the skillet from the heat. You do not want to overcook the kale (it will shrink too much). The moment when the kale leaves are no longer raw is the time to remove the skillet from the heat (the kale leaves will soften and darken slightly in color).
  5. Add the lime juice and stir. Add the creme fraiche and stir. The residual heat from the skillet should melt the creme fraiche and create a delicate sauce. Taste a few chickpeas and a small piece of kale. Adjust with more salt and/or lime juice as necessary. Add the roasted carrots, and gently stir to incorporate. Serve immediately, or serve at room temperature. Garnish with a handful of chopped cilantro leaves. Enjoy.
  6. Optional garnish, crispy shallots: https://food52.com/blog/15587-how-to-make-perfectly-crispy-fried-shallots-without-flour
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11 Reviews

Tara M.
Tara M. April 7, 2021
This is a great recipe and definitely very flexible! I didn't have any sumac, aleppo chili or creme fraiche on hand (and couldn't be asked going to the store). So, I followed the recipe but added a bit of nduja early on, and then instead of creme fraiche added about a tablespoon of tahini and it came out great.
 
Tara M.
Tara M. April 8, 2021
Also the leftovers were great with an egg the next morning.
 
Betsy
Betsy October 19, 2020
Love this recipe and make it fairly often. It’s easy, nutritious and my picky kids e
Enjoy it, too.
 
Psquared
Psquared January 24, 2019
I actually really liked this recipe. Could probably up the spices a bit more for a bit more oomph. Didn't have creme fraiche, so used sour cream instead (decreased the amount of lime juice). Tasted better when hot as opposed to when it had cooled down, so needs to be served immediately. Will definitely be adding into our meatless recipe rotation.
 
Hollis R.
Hollis R. June 21, 2018
this sounds delectable, especially the use of cilantro stems (anything with the entire cilantro -- leaves and stems -- gets me excited)! and i have all the requisite spices!
 
epicharis
epicharis March 25, 2018
This was a lot of work and dirtied dishes for something with no payoff. The final product felt more like a bunch of jumbled ingredients rather than a completed dish, the spices were muted beyond recognition, and the lime was excessive.
 
Adrienne
Adrienne February 6, 2018
Absolutely wonderful! I forgot to grab creme fraiche and substituted a mixture of laughing cow and cream cheese. A little unconventional but it worked. Thank you!
 
Caroline
Caroline December 1, 2017
Excellent. Made as diected (using red pepper flakes as I don’t have Aleppo pepper but now plan to get some) and I added a little chicken broth at the end as it was to dry; the creme fraiche needed a little juice to combine with. Terrific mexture of spices, lime and the creme fraiche; and the cilantro leaves are essential. I think you need to make it as written for the best results.
 
Samantha T.
Samantha T. November 30, 2017
This was amazing! My new favorite way to eat chickpeas! I loved the balance of acidity and sweetness, and it was quite hearty as well! I mixed cayenne and paprika in substitute for the aleppo chili, which I think worked well. Great recipe!
 
amy P.
amy P. April 17, 2017
This was delicious. If you use chard, you might want to double the amount as it wilts quickly. Otherwise, I will next time be more liberal with the spices!
 
Melody L.
Melody L. April 4, 2017
Will try next week! :) I also highly recommend Sweet Potato Curry. I usually throw in green peas at the end, but you can also sub that with any other greens! It's also delicious over a bed or arugula, basmati rice, or naan (whatever you fancy).