Curry Chickpea Stew with Coconut Milk

A bowl of chickpea stew with a gold spoon in it, a green glass and a bowl of cilantro are above it.

Curry Chickpea Stew with Coconut Milk

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Asian

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: chickpea curry stew, chickpea stew

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 431kcal

This vegan chickpea stew recipe with curry and coconut milk is a little spicy, loaded with carrots, and gets a hint of green from kale or spinach. So easy, creamy, and delicious, ready in about 30 minutes!

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 onion
3 carrots
2½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (divided)
2 teaspoon grated ginger
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoon curry powder (yellow)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups vegetable stock
1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2 cups chopped kale, spinach or swiss chard
½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the carrots and onions
freshly ground black pepper for serving
fresh cilantro optional, for serving
harissa optional, for serving

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Instructions

Dice the onions finely. Slice the carrots about ¼-inch thick. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.
Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the carrots and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and aromatic, about 8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
Meanwhile, use a microplane grater to grate the garlic and ginger. (If you don't have a grater, mince both finely.) There's no need to peel the ginger before grating unless you really want to, as it will cook down in the stew.
Clear a space in the bottom of the pot, add another ½ tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, paprika and cayenne pepper to this oil and let it sizzle for a couple seconds. Then mix the garlic, ginger and spices with the carrots and onions, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic and ginger are fragrant.
Add the vegetable stock to the pot and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan (flavor!). Add the drained chickpeas and the coconut milk and stir to combine.
Turn the heat up to medium high. Once the stew reaches a simmer, turn it down to medium low and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, until it has reduced slightly. Season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. While the stew simmers, roughly chop the kale.
Add the chopped kale and cook for another 3-5 minutes, just until it's wilted and bright green. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve the chickpea stew immediately, topped with fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

Serve as a stew or part of a larger meal: Chickpea stew is delightful on its own with a slice of crusty bread, but for a heartier meal, serve it over rice or couscous.
Blooming the spices is important: Sizzling the spices in oil and then stirring them around the pot with the carrots and onions is very important! This is called blooming the spices. It wakes up their flavor and cooks them a bit, and helps to integrate them fully with the rest of the ingredients, otherwise you'll just have spices floating around in the soup and that creates a gritty texture.
Don't salt until the end: Wait until just before serving to salt the stew. It will reduce slightly and thicken, and if you salt first, it may end up too salty. Seasoning at the end means it will be just right.
Store: Make ahead or keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

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Nutrition