Squash and White Bean Stew with Roasted Chickpeas and Kale

We're craving comfort food on these chilly nights. The contents of this week's produce boxes are perfect for creating a warm and hearty soup or stew. This plant-based stew is loaded with creamy butternut squash and beans, spiked with lots of warm seasonings like cardamom and coriander, and topped off with crunchy spiced chickpeas.

Blending half of the vegetables and broth with an immersion blender creates a creamy base without the need for cream or thickeners. Simple, satisfying and so delicious!

Squash and White Bean Stew with Roasted Chickpeas and Kale

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander

1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric

1, 1” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground, pepper, plus more to taste

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup onion, peeled and diced

1 cup carrots, diced

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 cups vegetable broth, homemade or low-sodium canned

4 kale leaves, stacked and chopped into 1⁄2 inch ribbons

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeds and fibers scooped out, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Drain both cans of chickpeas. In a large bowl, add 1⁄2 of the pre-measured spice mixture to half the chickpeas along with 1⁄2 tablespoon olive oil. Place on a sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.

Next, add the remaining oil, the onion & carrots to the pot. Add salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and remaining spice mixture. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until carrots and onions are softened. Stir in half of the diced squash and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Add vegetable stock.

Next, using an immersion blender, blend soup until mostly pureed while leaving some texture. Not completely pureed smooth. Add remaining squash and chickpeas then cook about 10 minutes longer. Add kale. Add salt and pepper to taste, plus cayenne. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve into bowls, top each bowl with crispy chickpeas and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Don't forget to show us what you're cooking up with this week's PIP Box! Snap a pic, share and tag us @realfoodremedyrx so we can see your soup-er creations!