I just received my copy of Vegan Fire and Spice: 200 Sultry and Savory Dishes by Robin Robertson. I couldn’t wait to give it a try. It is cold in Atlanta today so some soup sounded perfect. This recipe is adapted from the North African Pumpkin Stew recipe. Robin uses canned beans and tomatoes in her recipes but I prefer to avoid the canned items and use fresh veggies and dry beans instead. I have an abundance of kale right now and I wanted to get some greens into us so I added that the recipe too.
The result was delicious. This stew really hit the spot. It was spicy and warming. It was filling and satisfying.
You can easily heat it up more by adding more or hotter chilies (I used cherry bomb) or leaving the seeds in. I used lentils because they cook fast but you can use other beans depending on your taste or what you have on hand. If your beans take longer to cook, cook them separately or add the squash after they have had a chance to cook part way through. I used butternut squash but you can certainly use other winter squashes.
- 1 TBL olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 small hot chilies, chopped. (Remove seeds for less heat, leave them in for more)
- 1 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 medium butternut or other winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2-3 roma tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup dried lentils
- 4 cups water
- 1 TBL coconut sugar or other natural sweetener
- I bunch kale, torn into bite sized pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Saute' the onion in the oil in medium sized pot until it is softened.
- Add the garlic, chiles, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, allspice and cloves and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the squash and the lentils and stir to coat with the spice mixture.
- Add the tomatoes, water and sugar.
- Bring to boil then reduce the heat and simmer until lentils are tender (about 45 min).
- Stir in kale during the last 5 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
I love great food don't you? No boring dishes allowed in my kitchen! I want to share my secrets with you.
- My favorite international spice and seasoning combinations
- The top 10 ingredients absolutely I must have in my kitchen
- How to use vegan substitutes for meat and dairy products
- And Much More!
Click the button to get your copy.