Coconut Braised Chickpeas with Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Serves: 4
This is one of the delicious recipes I learned while taking a plant-based cooking course from Rouxbe.com (totally recommend it!). I made a few changes, to suit my palate. One option is to replace full fat coconut milk for lite coconut milk, it works really well, and is much lower in calories and fat. The dish is not as “coconut-y” tasting or as rich but still oh so yummy
This is one of the delicious recipes I learned while taking a plant-based cooking course from Rouxbe.com (totally recommend it!). I made a few changes, to suit my palate. One option is to replace full fat coconut milk for lite coconut milk, it works really well, and is much lower in calories and fat. The dish is not as “coconut-y” tasting or as rich but still oh so yummy
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced, ¼-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (1 heaping tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ¾ cup dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted in warm water, then sliced thinly
- (1) 15-ounce can, salt free chickpeas, drained
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes (or to taste)
- ½ pound fresh baby spinach
- (1) 14 ounce can coconut milk (either full fat or lite)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ bunch cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Directions
- Dry sauté the vegetables: Heat a large Dutch oven, or deep saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until a piece of onion sizzles when added to the pan. Add diced onions and stir continuously for 2 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat, and let the onions steam to release its oils and juice, 3-4 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook until onions are translucent. Once soft, add garlic and ginger and let cook until fragrant, about a minute or so. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest, and chili flakes. Let cook for one minute more.
- Add the chickpeas and stir to coat with the tomato mixture until heated through, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat down slightly and add the spinach, one handful at a time. Stir until wilted before adding the next handful. Continue until all of the spinach has been added.
- Add the coconut milk, turn up the heat, and bring to a simmer. Stir to combine and add the ground ginger and a tablespoon of the reserved lemon juice. Taste for seasoning adding more lemon juice if needed.
- Once the soup is heated through, ladle into soup bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro.
- I like to serve it over steaming brown rice.
- If you like a rich soup, then full fat coconut milk is the way to go. You can compromise and use ½ lite coconut milk and ½ full fat. Let your taste buds be your guide.
