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
This stew is amazing, the flavours come together beautifully. Next time, I’m going to kick up the heat with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and some more chili powder.
I’ve made this stew almost a dozen times now and it has become one of my favorite comfort foods! I like to use halved fingerling Yukon Gold potatoes and just mash a few after cooking to thicken the liquid. I also like to either do a kale/spinach combo, or all spinach. This is one of the most forgiving recipes I’ve made. A little more or less ginger, more or less curry, etc…and it still turns out amazing. And a nice touch for summer….it also tastes fantastic cold! All around the best veggie stew I’ve ever made. Thank you!
Just made this tonight and it’s great! I was worried because I only had Jamaican curry powder on hand but it turned out fine. More than fine actually. I will absolutely make this again.
What do you think out brining some red lebtil to the party for this recipe? Maybe 1/4 cup?
I think that would be great! Yeah, 1/4-1/2 cup would probably be ideal. :)
This looks delicious!! But it is NOT plant-based!! More and more, food bloggers are using the term “Plant-Based” incorrectly. The actual diet: Whole Foods Plant Based excludes ALL oils!!
Wikipedia definition – A plant-based diet is a diet based on foods derived from plants, including vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits, but with few or no animal products
You can nit pick all you want but this is the definition.
That’s just entirely incorrect. Plant based diets to not exclude all oils completely. Some do, many do not.
I made this last night and it was delicious!!! Perfect for a meatless weekday meal.
I’ve made this soup several times since you posted it, and it is amazing! I like to add in some carrots and quinoa, but it is phenomenal as written!
Oh. My. Lanta. This is my favorite recipe from your blog I’ve tried to far. So filling in just the right way, savory, and texturally amazing. I had some little cheese bread loaves that I toasted alongside it, and it was PERFECT! Also added a little liquid smoke which was such a yummy addition. I will DEF be making this again!
This is amazing and a surprisingly easy weeknight meal! I had made a similar version from another recipe with chorizo, but I think I prefer this version better…there’s something about the potato/tomato combo that is especially hearty and delicious. With the potatoes, I still felt like I got my carb fix, but in a healthier way.
Absolutely delicious! This is my second time making it, and I just wanted to point out a typo I didn’t notice the first time. In the ingredient list it says “2 Tbso Olive Oil”. Thanks for another great recipe!
Wow, what a great recipe! Well done. Healthy, easy, great taste, inexpensive, it’s got it all. I can see the possibilities for this as a base for many variations. I added 2 sliced carrots, 1 can of drained red beans and a teaspoon of Turmeric. OMG, so good! I have a Jalapeno sea salt grinder my wife got me for Christmas that was the perfect finish. Keep them coming!
This was awesome. I used sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes. Everyone came back for seconds. I will make this again. Tangy and tasty!
This was so, so good. I think next time I make it (and there WILL be a next time), I may top each bowl off with a few crumbles of goat cheese. This recipe was even a hit with my husband who doesn’t like chick peas.
Even better the second day! I substituted a few things based on what was in my pantry, but don’t think they altered the overall idea. Used baby potatoes, white beans, and sambhar masala. Added extra red pepper flakes because I love heat. I’m so sad I’m almost out of leftovers. :-(
This looks delicious! I’m planning on making it tomorrow night, and I’m excited.
2 questions: If I add chorizo, should I do that at the beginning of the recipe? And if I substitute frozen spinach for the kale, will I need longer cooking time?