I’ve been making this rustic stew for the last couple of years. Every few months I start to crave it’s comforting flavors. It never fails that all the ingredients make it into my shopping cart. With the chilly winter weather, I thought you might like to make this stew too.
Second only to it’s deep, slightly spicy flavors is my love of the process of making this stew. The sound of my knife on the chopping board brings a sense of peace and tranquility over my entire being, as does the warm scents that fill our home as it simmers away on the stove.
Swiss chard is one of my favorite greens. Not only is it gorgeous but it’s packed with at least 13 different antioxidents and is rich in vitamins K, A, and C. Fennel also contains antioxidents. It’s crunchy, slightly sweet, anise-like flavor is addictive. I can’t help but snack on it while I’m chopping away.
Even though this is a vegetarian dish, it eats like a meaty stew. The World’s Healthiest Foods touts garbanzo beans as a quality high-fiber food that improves food satisfaction and when included regularly as part of a diet reduces the amount of processed food consumed.
Every bite of this stew is nourishing. And delicious.
It makes a big ‘ol pot of stew. I freeze the leftovers in pint sized Mason jars so I can have a nutritious lunch or dinner.
This recipe has been adapted from The Best Vegetarian Recipes
Other Gluten-Free Vegetarian Dishes:
- Eggplant Moussaka from SS&GF
- Curried Rice & Lentils from SS&GF
- Carrots – A Gluten-Free Pasta Alternative from Welcoming Kitchen
- Adzuki Bean & Quinoa Veggie Burgers from She Let Them Eat Cake
A rustic vegetarian stew rich with flavor, texture, and nutrition.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 leeks, sliced, white and light green parts only
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoons ground caraway
- 2 - 3 tablespoons harissa, or to taste, plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 fennel bulbs, including fronds
- 2 bunches of swiss chard
- 1 bunch of parsley
- kosher or sea salt to taste
- 1 recipe Oven Baked Brown Rice
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas overnight with enough water to come up about 3 inches over the top of the beans.
- The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas, cover with 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large 6-quart dutch oven. Add the onion and leeks and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, coriander, and caraway. Stir until fragrant. Add the harissa and tomato paste and stir.
- Add the chickpeas with their cooking water; stir to combine. Cover and simmer for another 30 - 60 minutes, until chickpeas are very tender.
- Prepare the fennel by cutting each bulb in half and removing the core. Slice from top to bottom. Cut off the fronds. Discard the stems.
- Remove the stems from the chard and cut into pieces.
- Chop the parsley.
- Add the fennel, fennel fronds, and swiss chard. Stir to combine. Don't worry if there seems like an overwhelming amount of greens. They'll cook down. Simmer until fennel and chard are tender.
- Season to taste with salt. Stir in the parsley.
- Serve over Oven Baked Brown Rice.
Much love,
Amy
Maggie
posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:53 pm
Amy this looks and sounds fabulous! Please make it for me when I come to visit
I need to get some fennel, I’ve never cooked with it before (can you believe it?). Thanks for linking to my veggie burgers (I’ll make them for you when you come to visit me). I’m not sure what harissa is so I am off to google!
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
January 6th, 2012 at 9:25 pm
@Maggie, Go get some fennel! You’ll love it! It’s great with lentils, too. Yes, I’ll make this for you when you come visit. And, I’ll hold you to making me your veggie burgers.
xoxo,
Amy
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Alta
posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:55 pm
This looks really lovely and comforting without being heavy.
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Kalinda
posted on January 6, 2012 at 1:56 pm
My kind of dish. I haven’t done much with fennel lately. Thanks for the reminder that it’s out there.
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Kim (Cook It Allergy Free)
posted on January 6, 2012 at 2:01 pm
I am making this right now. Seriously. I have so much swiss chard growing in my garden right now that this is a perfect way to use it up!!
What a hearty recipe for winter (even if it is in the 70′s here today, LOL).
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
January 6th, 2012 at 9:23 pm
@Kim (Cook It Allergy Free), I could never get my swiss chard to grow. You’ve got a magic green thumb, though.
Enjoy the stew!
xoxo,
Amy
[Reply]
Ricki
posted on January 6, 2012 at 4:28 pm
My kind of stew! I adore swiss chard, too. Perfect for winter!
And I can’t believe that Kim still has some growing in her garden (and 70 degrees!!!).
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Katrina (gluten free gidget)
posted on January 7, 2012 at 9:47 am
Now that is a recipe after my own heart! I am soooo putting this on my Pinterest board!
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 9:28 am
@Katrina (gluten free gidget), Hi Katrina! Great to hear from you. Hope you’re doing well. Thanks for the pin.
xoxo,
Amy
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Lori @ Laurel of Leaves
posted on January 7, 2012 at 10:51 am
Mmm–this looks so hearty! Might have to make an extra large pot of this.
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Brandon
posted on January 7, 2012 at 12:17 pm
This looks and sounds so nourishing, and warming. I think the second time I try this I may use quinoa. Thank you Amy.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 9:28 am
@Brandon, Quinoa would be great. I like the larger grains of brown rice the best though. It’s really just a matter of your personal taste.
Hope all is well with you!
Amy
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Adrienne @ Whole New Mom
posted on January 7, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Thanks, Amy. I didn’t know what harissa is, either. I think I googled it before so I just must have forgotten.
We love garbanzos and – believe it or not – chard is one of the things that has grown very easily for us. And when you harvest it you just pick off the outer leaves and it keeps growing. We are challenged with other things in our garden, but the chard and kale do great. Maybe it’s your soil?
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 9:27 am
@Adrienne @ Whole New Mom, I think you’re right. I live in the city and we put together raised beds. Not sure we got the right mix of stuff. Used a lot of organic soil but really, I have no idea how to grow veggies. It seems to be an art.
Hugs,
Amy
[Reply]
Christianne
posted on January 7, 2012 at 5:39 pm
I can’t wait to try this. My swiss chard is almost ready for picking!
I think the earthy flavor of the chickpeas and the anisey crunch of the fennel will be wonderful together!
My mouth is watering
Grazie!
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 9:25 am
@Christianne, Someday I will be able to grow my own swiss chard. I tried this year and it didn’t do anything. It didn’t grow. It didn’t die. It just stayed the same. A green thumb is not yet part of who I am.
xoxo,
Amy
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InTolerant Chef
posted on January 7, 2012 at 8:50 pm
I have lovely rainbow chard growing in my garden, a couple more weeks and it will be perfect for this recipe. We call it Silverbeet over here though!
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Kim @ Welcoming Kitchen
posted on January 8, 2012 at 8:33 pm
Amy,
This looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for linking to my recipe, too.
Happy New Year!
Kim
[Reply]
France @ Beyond The Peel
posted on January 10, 2012 at 12:10 pm
Hi Amy, What a lovely stew. I can see why you would get cravings for it. I think you just inspired my next recipe! A vegetarian stew. hmmmm
I’m hosting Whole Food Wednesdays at Beyond The Peel. The page will be going up tonight but this is the link if you’d like to come over and share.
http://www.beyondthepeel.net/2012/01/whole-food-wednesdays-curried-lentil-soup.html
[Reply]
Melanie
posted on January 10, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Your soup looks so warm and comforting. I recently cooked with fennel for the first time a few weekends ago and made a similar soup only it had lentils and celery root. At first I wasn’t sure about the fennel as I can’t stand black licorice, but as it cooked the flavor got mild and I really enjoyed it. I’ll have to try your soup next now that I know I like fennel
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Amy Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 9:18 am
@Melanie, It’s always fun discovering a new food that we like, isn’t it? Have fun with the soup.
xoxo,
Amy
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Noelle Gaburon
posted on January 22, 2012 at 2:02 pm
What brand of Harissa do you use and where do you get it. I cant find it locally and will have to order somewhere. With all the choices, I want to get the brand you are using.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
February 2nd, 2012 at 3:57 pm
@Noelle Gaburon, I make my own…it’s a recipe out of the same book, Best Vegetarian Recipes. It’s so good.
Hugs,
Amy
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christine
posted on March 23, 2012 at 9:32 am
Just picked some chard this morning, and I adore chickpeas and fennel, so I wonder what might be cooking in my kitchen this evening? Thank you, lovely idea:)
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Maryellen
posted on September 26, 2012 at 11:17 am
Help, I’m making this but I’m confused about the fronds. The furry stuff right? Do I chop that up in the stew, or put it in the stew attached to the stems to be removed. Sounds great! Thanks for your wonderful recipies!
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
October 10th, 2012 at 10:51 pm
@Maryellen, You put the fronds that look like dill in the soup. I guess that’s what you mean by the furry stuff? And the white part of the fennel – the bulb. I don’t put the green stems in.
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Fennel Friday
posted on October 19, 2012 at 9:59 am
Happy Fennel Friday! We love this recipe and it is featured on our Fennel Stew Recipes! Thanks for sharing!!
http://fennelfriday.com/add-fennel-to-the-pot-stew-fennel-recipes/
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
October 19th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
@Fennel Friday, Thank you for sharing my recipe!!
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