I don’t know if I mentioned this, but I pretty much ate my weight in cheese over the holiday. Now that I feel sufficiently icky, I’m trying to focus on some more plant-based recipes to help me get back to feeling normal. I decided to throw together a warm stew today with some things that I had on hand and ended up with this super hearty and delicious Smoky Potato Chickpea Stew. NOM NOM! Perfect for these cool fall days!
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The seasoning for this stew is very simple, just a ton of smoked paprika and curry powder, plus a little pinch of red pepper flakes for kick. I simmered the soup for a good long time which made the potatoes break down and thicken the broth into a wonderfully thick stew. I was really bummed that I didn’t have a really good loaf of bread or homemade croutons to soak up this stew, but I found some saltine crackers in my pantry, which worked in a pinch. Just know that this stew is just begging for a nice piece of crusty bread to go along with it!
What Kind of Curry Powder Do You Use?
I’ve enjoyed both 365 brand curry powder and Sharwood’s curry powder. You can use either hot or mild in this recipe, but I think I actually prefer mild curry powder here so that it doesn’t overpower the other flavors. You can also try making your own curry powder with this recipe for Easy Homemade Curry Powder from Spiceitupp.com.
Can You Freeze Smoky Potato Chickpea Stew?
Yes! This recipe freezes beautifully. Just divide the soup into single portions after cooking, cool the portions completely in the refrigerator first, then transfer to the freezer for long term storage. You can keep the stew frozen for about three months. I like to use the reusable Ziploc containers because they can go straight from the freezer to the microwave for fast reheating when I need a quick meal.
Can I Substitute the Kale?
Yes, spinach makes a great substitute for the kale. But since spinach is much softer and more delicate than kale, add the spinach at the very end and just stir it into the stew until wilted.
Want more vegan stews? Try Vegan Winter Lentil Stew, Moroccan Lentil and Vegetable Stew, or West African Peanut Stew.
Smoky Potato Chickpea Stew
Servings 6 1.3 cups eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 1 Tbsp curry powder ($0.30)
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.30)
- pinch crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes ($1.00)
- 2 russet potatoes (1.75-2 lbs total) ($1.62)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($0.55)
- 4 cups vegetable broth* ($0.52)
- 1/4 lb. fresh kale, chopped ($1.16)
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a large soup pot with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent.
- Add the curry powder, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes to the pot and continue to stir and cook for 1-2 minutes more to toast the spices.
- While the onion, garlic, and ginger are sautéing, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Drain the chickpeas.
- Once the spices are toasted, add the potatoes, fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), and chickpeas to the pot. Pour the vegetable broth over top, then stir until everything is combined.
- Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow it to come to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and allow the soup to simmer with the lid in place for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 45 minutes, stir the stew well and smash the potatoes against the side of the pot to help them break down and thicken the stew. Add the chopped kale and stir it into the stew until it has wilted. Taste the soup and adjust the salt or other spices if desired. Serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Smoky Chickpea Stew – Step by Step Photos
Finely dice one onion, mince two cloves of garlic, and grate about a teaspoon of fresh ginger. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a large soup pot along with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent, then add 1 Tbsp curry powder, 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes more to toast the spices.
While the onions garlic and ginger are sautéing, peel and dice two russet potatoes and drain one 15oz. can of chickpeas. Once the spices have toasted, add the potatoes, chickpeas, and a 15oz. can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juices) to the pot.
Pour 4 cups vegetable broth over the contents of the pot, stir everything really well, then place a lid on top an turn the heat on to medium-high. Allow the stew to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 45 minutes, stirring only occasionally. After 45 minutes, stir well and smash the potatoes against the side wall of the pot to help thicken the stew (the photo is after smashing).
Pre-bagged chopped kale is the best thing that ever happened to me (okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration). I used about 1/3 of this 12oz. bag. You can use however much you want. Just add a few handfuls to the stew and stir it in until the kale is wilted.
If you like your kale extra tender, you can simmer it a bit longer to soften it up, but I like mine to have some tooth and to be bright green. It’s important to taste the stew at this point and adjust the salt and seasonings to your liking. Depending on what type of broth you used, you may want to add a touch more salt to really make the flavors pop. Or maybe you want just a little more heat, so you add another pinch of red pepper flakes.
While the saltines were good in the stew, I really wish I had a nice crusty, chewy loaf of ciabatta! :D
Simple & very filling. It’s one of my favorite recipes. I tripled the batch due to guests coming for dinner. I have some leftover. Will this freeze well?
Hi, Romelia! Freezing cooked potatoes changes their texture in a way that some people (but not all!) find unpleasant. I would suggest freezing one portion and then reheating it to see if you like it before freezing the rest. It will also keep for 5 days in the refrigerator. ~Marion :)
This was absolutely DELICIOUS!! I used beet greens instead of kale because that’s what I had and they were a good substitution. I’ll definitely be making again.
Do you think chicken thighs would be good added to this? Or would you suggest sausage links? Trying to figure out which would taste better with the other ingredients and spices!
Hi! If you want to add protein, chicken thighs would be my choice. They have higher fat content and can withstand a longer cook. First, sear them in the pot you’re making the soup in. Set them aside, and take out all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan. Use this fat instead of the olive oil called for in the recipe to sear your veg. Then follow the rest of the recipe. A mild-flavored sausage- like a kielbasa would be a great choice well. SLice on the diagonal for best results. XOXO -Monti
Awesome–extremely flavorful, easy and cheap; I make it often!
Extremely yummy and provided excellent leftovers for lunch. Will definitely be making again!!!
So glad I made this – great recipe! A few modifications: I seasoned the stew with turmeric and pumpkin pie spice in addition to the paprika — I did not have curry. Added chopped zucchini instead of potatoes. Garnished with crumbled feta and served with garlic naan. DELICIOUS.
For anyone who is wondering if this can be adapted to use dried beans and an instant pot, YEP. Here’s how I did it:
– Soaked chickpeas overnight
– Used the saute setting up until the point of adding tomatoes, potatoes, and drained (soaked) chickpeas
– Used same amount of liquid in recipe
– Used “pressure cook” setting for 8 minutes, and manual released pressure when done
– Added kale, the residual heat from pressure cooking was enough to cook it.
Delicious, and economical! Also, I used regular paprika and regular tomatoes because I didn’t have smoked paprika or fire roasted on hand, and it was still great.
Lexi! Thanks so much for sharing this! XOXO -Monti
So yum! The perfect amount of spice, nice cozy and comforting flavors. Adding to the soup rotation for sure!
Really delicious and simple. Thank you <3
So good! We used spinach instead of kale and sweet potatoes instead of russet-they added this amazing sweetness. We loved this!
Could this be adapted to be a slow cooker recipe?
Yes. As we haven’t tested it, we don’t have exact times. Bu generally speaking when converting from stove top to slow cooker: 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low. XOXO -Monti
This is delicious, filling, and lunch preps like a dream – the flavors get even deeper and cozier after a day or two. I also like my kale bright green and a bit crunchy, so I added it after I turned off the heat, and just let the ambient heat of the stew soften it. It came out perfect! I can already see so many variations, too – sweet potatoes instead of russets, as CP1005 mentions below, cumin or za’atar instead of curry powder, spinach instead of kale, the options are endless.
Where does the “smoky” come from?
Hi Kurt. The smokiness comes from the smoked paprika and fire-roasted tomatoes. XOXO -Monti
Sorry, ignore my reply to Kurt, I didn’t see yours!
I would never ignore you Bev!! XOXO -MOnti
Smoked paprika and fire roasted tomatoes
Could I use sweet potato instead of russet?
I think sweet potato would be wonderful in this stew. XOXO -Monti
This is a go to recipe that never fails- I have made it so many times. I sometimes add sliced mushrooms and use frozen spinach. Its one of those recipes that you always just seem to have all the ingredients for. It’s so delicious.