Happy New Year Everyone!

We spent a quiet night at home, as is our tradition. We always cook up something fun and fabulous and indulge a bit. This year was no different – we had gourmet burgers with all kinds of fun toppings, Old Bay Parsnip Fries (from my eBook), an almost-Caesar Kale Salad (coming next week!), a cheese tray (including this), some chocolates and of course, some fun beverages.

With all the partying and holiday madness behind us, I felt it was high time for a comforting and healthy stew to kick off the New Year on the right note.

This Quick Chickpea Stew with Bulgur and Za’atar is the perfect transition. It is hearty and satisfying, full of Vegan protein from the chickpeas, has a hefty helping of Kale and just enough bulgur to make it nice and thick.

Plus, it is only 6 Points Plus for 2 Heaping Cups. That is a huge serving and makes an excellent meal when paired with a salad or some other type of vegetable!

So, how did you spend New Year’s Eve?

NOTES:

  • If you are not familiar with Patak’s Curry Paste, here are two other recipes where I use it and talk about it a bit.
  • Za’atar is a middle eastern spice blend that usually has thyme, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt.  If you can’t find it locally, you can order it here.  If you like hummus and/or middle eastern food, you NEED this in your pantry.  Your hummus, baba, and falafel will thank you 100 times over.
5.0 from 3 reviews

Chickpea Stew with Bulgur + Za’atar
 
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6 Points Plus Per Serving — Individual Serving is 2 Heaping Cups — Serves 7
Serves:: 7

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 medium yellow onions, diced
  • 2 teaspoons + ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons Patak’s mild curry paste
  • 1 pound carrots, medium dice
  • 3 cups chickpeas (or 2 15-ounce cans rinsed and drained)
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup bulgur wheat
  • 8 cups water or bean broth
  • 1 head dinosaur kale, stemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon za’atar plus more for serving

Instructions
PREP:
  1. Smash and mince garlic. Dice onions and set aside with garlic.
  2. Clean, peel and dice carrots to a medium dice. Think nice little squares.
  3. Measure bulgur. Stem and chop kale.
COOK:
  1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil. Once hot, add in garlic, onion and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Cook 5 to 7 minutes until soft.
  2. Add curry paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  3. Now, toss in diced carrots, chickpeas, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil.
  4. Once boiling add in bulgur and kale. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove from heat, stir in za’atar, taste and adjust salt if necessary. I needed to add an additional ½ teaspoon salt.
  6. Serve hot and Enjoy!

 

 

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