Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry Recipe

Happy New Year! If you are ready to get back on track with healthy eating and meal prep this year, here is the perfect recipe!

This recipe is a weekly favorite for my sister and me—it makes a ton, and we never get tired of it! Recently, I whipped up a batch for friends, making it a fabulous start to my New Year. Reflecting on the past year, I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent it with my lifelong best friends. At 35, with all of us still without kids, the quality time together has been nothing short of awesome.

I've served this recipe at countless yoga retreats and friend dinners, earning it consistent A+ reviews. My friends affectionately call me the "stew lady," a title that originated during COVID when my nephew and I created a show called Stew Warriors using Snapchat filters. The Stew Lady, known for crafting the best soups in town, loves adventures, parties, and board games—Clue being her favorite. Cooking should be fun, right? Stay tuned for more stew recipes and Stew Lady adventures on the blog!

Benefits:

This recipe is:

• Plant based

  • Packed with plant based protein from chickpeas!

• Gluten free

• Dairy free

• High fiber

Key Ingredients & Nutrients:

• Sweet Potatoes: Brimming with essential vitamins A, C, manganese, fiber, and potassium, sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse that also happens to be delicious. Their natural sweetness and low glycemic index make them an excellent choice for dinner, curbing sugar cravings and promoting stable blood sugar levels. Rich in beta-carotene, sweet potatoes support vision and combat disease-causing free radicals in the body.

• Chickpeas: A versatile legume boasting high fiber and plant-based protein content, chickpeas are a fantastic addition to any plant-based diet. Providing a satisfying and energy-boosting combination of fiber and protein, they also promote the thriving of beneficial gut bacteria. If you experience bloating from chickpeas, let's discuss, especially if you have IBS/SIBO sensitivity—I've been there!

• Curry Powder: A vibrant spice blend, curry powder, with its staining prowess, signifies a potent mixture of spices, prominently featuring turmeric. The active ingredient, curcumin, exhibits remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies suggest potential benefits ranging from improved joint health, brain function, and heart health to cancer prevention and blood sugar regulation.

• Enriched with various vegetable colors—orange from carrots and sweet potatoes, reds from tomatoes, greens from celery and spinach, yellow from peppers, and purple from onions—curry powder provides a colorful feast for your gut. For optimal gut health, aim for a diverse array of colors and varieties, even supplementing with a greens powder if needed. In an ideal scenario, target incorporating 30+ plant varieties weekly. If this seems challenging, start with two veggie-loaded recipes weekly, switch up your vegetable choices, or consider a greens powder supplement. Your gut thrives on color and diversity!

Ingredients:

• 1T olive oil

• 1 6oz box baby spinach

• 1 red onion, diced

• 2 yellow peppers, diced

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4” cubes

• 1/2 cup frozen corn

• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced

• 5 celery sticks, diced

• 2T curry powder

• 1T minced ginger

• 2T minced garlic

• 1 28oz can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

• 2 15oz canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

• 1 15oz can coconut milk

Suggested serving size: 1.5 cups/serving

Instructions:

• Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.

• Saute onions, carrots, celery, and peppers for 8 minutes.

• Add sweet potatoes, garlic, ginger, corn, and curry powder; saute for an additional 5 minutes.

• Pour in crushed tomatoes and coconut milk, then incorporate the chickpeas. Stir well to combine.

• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.

• Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

• Introduce a box of spinach and stir until wilted and cooked.

• Enjoy!

• Enhance your experience by pairing it with your favorite cracker or sourdough bread. Personally, I recommend Mary's Gone seed crackers with this delightful recipe.

Let me know what you think!

I hope you enjoy this recipe!! It’s ideal for a cozy winter day, it effortlessly transforms into a quick weeknight dinner or a conveniently packable weekday lunch in your thermos. Your feedback is always so appreciated, and I'm eager to discover which culinary creations you'd like the Stew Lady to whip up next ;)