Soups and stews are always great for cooler weather and this Sweet Potato Stew With Chickpeas & Hardy Greens is no exception.
It’s ready in under 30 minutes, and it’s filled with deliciously yummy vivid flavors. Like maple, lime and hummus.
Those flavors are accompanied by a trio of even hardier flavors, like sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and kale.
About The Hardy Green Kale
Before the year 2012, kale was a salad bar decor. It was never served as a vegetable. But now, kale is hailed as a hardy green. And rightly so.
Kale has also taken over greens in salads, soups, and pesto. It is also used as a side dish and even showed up in the snack aisles as chips.
The magazine – Bon Appétit – named 2012 the year of kale, and on October 2, 2013, “National Kale Day” was launched in the U.S.
Available throughout much of the year, Kale is tolerant to frost and cold weather. Low temperatures actually cause kale and other cruciferous vegetables to convert starch molecules into sugar, resulting in a sweeter, less bitter flavor.
Despite their tough and fibrous texture, kale stems are edible if cooked.
You can cut the stems into small pieces and add to a stir-fry. Add diced stems to soups or use them to make a vegetable stock.
Sweet Potato Stew With Chickpeas & Hardy Greens
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large or 3 small), peeled and chopped into 3/4-inch chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste (regular or low sodium)
4 cups chicken broth or stock, homemade or low-sodium store-bought
Learn More About The Difference Between Stock & Broth
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 cups to 4 cups (packed) kale, Swiss chard, collard or turnip greens, or mature (not baby) spinach
1 tablespoon lime juice, plus the finely grated zest, from 1 lime (Note: zest the lime before juicing)
3 tablespoons to 4 tablespoons plain hummus, homemade or store-bought
Heat butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add sweet potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and Aleppo pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes (stirring occasionally), or until the outsides lose their firmness.
Add maple syrup, stirring so it evenly coats the sweet potatoes. Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring constantly, to lightly caramelize the syrup.
Add broth, soy sauce, chickpeas, greens, and lime zest. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Lower heat, and stir in the lime juice and hummus, starting with 3 tablespoons hummus; stir until well integrated.
Taste, and add another tablespoon of hummus, if desired, for extra richness and body.
Taste for seasoning and balance, adding a bit more soy, lime juice, and/or salt to your liking.
Turn off the heat. Divide the stew amongst bowls, and serve right away.
Any leftovers will keep well, tightly covered, for several days in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving.
Give these stews a try.
- West African Peanut Sweet Potato Stew
- Sweet Potato Chicken Stew with Black Beans & Corn
- Lentils and Purple Sweet Potato Stew
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