An incredibly grounding winter vegetable stew full of anti-inflammatory spices and fresh herbs. Done in 30 minutes, this will no doubt be in high rotation during the colder months!
With winter in full swing, warmth is the name of the game. I’m sure you all know I have an absolute LOVE for Raw foods, however, eating according to the season wins on all fronts, and in the cooler months I naturally find warm dishes, use of heating spices (on that note – have you tried my homemade Masala Chai yet?), grounding root vegetables and slow cooked grains, legumes and stews really hit the spot.
I prefer to enjoy of these things made from scratch, then you know you can count on the ingredients being whole, simple and fresh. Also, anything marketed as ‘quick’ and ‘easy’ is usually too good to be true – the supermarket bought soups (even the ‘healthy’ ones), stews, and even tinned vegetables such as tomatoes, are often laden with added sugars. Always turn the label over and read the ingredient list!
Vegetable Stew: Nutrition
This hearty vegetable stew is based on chickpeas (garbanzo beans), they have a beautiful nutty taste and feel soft and creamy in the mouth once cooked properly. They are an excellent source of the trace mineral molybdenum, an important cofactor for several enzymes in the body. They are also high in folate and manganese, which assists enzymes in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids – as well as playing a part in bone formation [1].
They provide a healthy serving of fibre (12.5g per cup) [2] helping lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. Low in fat, high in protein, they make the stew feel nice and substantial.
Properly preparing chickpeas for optimal digestion
Legumes, grains, nuts and seeds contain phytic acid, a storage form of phosphorus in plants, which would go on to provide energy for the sprouting legume/grain/nut or seed, should it escape its fate as our dinner. The phosphorus is wrapped up in a molecule with the unfortunate ability to then go ahead and bind with other minerals in the digestive tract, in effect, preventing you from absorbing and utilising them [3].
Soak your chickpeas in water with ACV to improve digestion. Find out how here. Click To TweetTo get around this, we look back to traditional methods of food preparations. Soaking, sprouting and fermenting are some examples. In the case of our chickpea friends, simply soaking them in water with a little splash of apple cider vinegar is enough to reduce the phytic acid content [4]. By the way – apple cider vinegar simply works as an acid medium to facilitate the process (lemon juice would also work). The longer you have to soak them, the better (overnight is great). You can of course turn to tinned beans – I guess if you are in a hurry they are better than nothing!
I’ve added a little of my favourite anti-inflammatory spice in the mix – turmeric – perfect for fighting winter ailments. I always look for a good quality organic powder. Alternatively, buy the fresh root and grate some straight into the pot.
Fun fact – garlic is the best flu fighter – peel and chop a clove, leave it out to breath for a few minutes (this allows the enzymes a chance to convert a compound called alliin into allicin – which is responsible both for the odour and the anti-microbial properties) then hold your nose and knock it back!
Serve with a handful of fresh garden herbs sprinkled on top and a piece of crunchy toasted buckwheat or other gluten free bread.
More Mid-winter Immune-Supportive Recipes
- Immune-boosting Fermented Garlic Honey
- Moroccan-Inspired Preserved Lemons Recipe
- Nourishing Red Lentil Soup with Rosemary
- Homemade Immune-Boosting Digestive Tonic
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If you’d like to chat with me about essential oils, or book in a class, you can do that here. If you’re after a Naturopathic consult, read more here.
Easy Warming Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- 250 g chickpeas dried (or, use a 400g tin of cooked chickpeas)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar organic is best
- 1 shallot or small red onion sliced finely
- 2-3 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 carrots medium, diced
- 1 sweet potato medium, diced
- 1 parsnip diced
- 1 handful green beans ends trimmed, and halved
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander chopped, loosely packed
- 1x 400g tin crushed tomatoes
- 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Firstly, soak the chickpeas in water with a splash of apple cider vinegar all day (or overnight). They will increase in size so make sure you have plenty of water. Drain them, rinse them, add them to a pot, cover with fresh water and boil with a pinch of salt till they become soft. From here, drain them and set aside ready for the recipe. If this process seems too laborious, you can use a 400g tin of chickpeas instead.
- To make the stew, brown the shallots and garlic in a large pot in a little olive oil on medium heat, cook until soft.
- Add diced vegetables and beans and stir till coated.
- Pour in the tin of tomatoes and add the chickpeas and tomato puree, stir well.
- Add all of the spices, stir well, and cook the stew slowly for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon, olive oil, a little sea salt and some crunchy toasted buckwheat bread.
Notes
- If you're not prepared - you can use tinned chickpeas
(400g) rather than dried. - You can mix up the vegetables - pumpkin and potato are both great.
- Don't skip the spices! They're packed with anti-inflammatory antioxidants.
- I love a good hunk of sourdough - if you're into making your own bread, you might like to try this gluten free buckwheat millet bread - it's awesome.
- This recipe freezes well - have a large stock pot? Double the batch.
- Nutrition panel is an estimate only.
Yum, I’m craving warm comforting soups and stews at the moment. This looks like such a yummy week night dinner, will have to give it a go 🙂 http://www.reneesexton.co.nz