Sunday's Soup/Eggplant, Kale, and Chickpea Stew

I have been working on a very fun project. You won't believe what it is, and you won't believe who it's for!!! So pop back by tomorrow, and I will share all the excitement with you :)

This is just the best time of year with all the fresh vegetables coming into the market. One that I love is eggplant. That rich purple color, the color of royalty, it is just so inviting. 

Today's soup is really more of a stew. Just the perfect dish for loading up on lots of vitamins for the coming months of winter. There's eggplant, baby kale, chickpeas, tomatoes, parsley, and lovely aromatic spices.   

Begin by cutting the eggplant into bite size cubes. Place in a colander and pour 1 tablespoon of sea salt over the eggplant. Stir well to coat. Allow the eggplant to sit for 1 hour.  

While the eggplant is sitting, saute 1 medium chopped onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. For this dish, I like to let my onion brown slightly.
 

Add 3 chopped cloves of garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Saute for about a minute to bring out the flavors of the garlic and red pepper.

Now add the spices, cumin, coriander, and caraway seed. Add the chickpeas and saute for another minute allowing the spices to enhance the flavor of the chickpeas. 

Add the tomatoes, chopped kale, parsley, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Allow soup to simmer until eggplant is ready.

Once eggplant has sat for 1 hour, rinse well and then dry with paper towels, or a clean kitchen towel. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet. Cook eggplant in hot olive oil until nicely browned. This should be done in 2 batches,adding more olive oil to the second batch. 

Add the browned eggplant to the soup mixture. Bring to a boil once again, and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. The soup is now ready to serve! If you would like, make a pot of brown rice and serve the soup/stew over the rice. Makes for a heartier meal.

Eggplant, Kale, and Chickpea Stew
Makes 4 hearty servings

ingredients;
6 cups cubed eggplant
2 cups canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
4 cups chopped baby kale
1 cup chopped parsley
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (fire-roasted if possible)
4 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
salt and black pepper to taste 

directions;
Begin by placing cubed eggplant in a colander. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Mix well to coat. Allow to sit for at least 1 hour.

While eggplant is sitting, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to large pot. Add chopped onion and saute until slightly browned. Add crushed red pepper and garlic. Saute for about a minute being careful not to burn. Add cumin, coriander, and caraway seed, stirring well to combine. Add chickpeas and and allow to cook with the spices for about a minute to infuse chickpeas with the spices. Add crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and add chopped kale and chopped parsley. Reduce heat to a simmer and allow the stew to cook until eggplant is ready.

Once eggplant is ready, rinse well with cold water. Drain on paper towels, or a clean kitchen towel. Divide in half. Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in skillet. Add half of the eggplant and cook until browned. Add to stew mixture. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Bring the stew to a boil once more. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Serve as is, or over brown rice for a heartier meal. Top the stew with a little fresh parsley and a bit of lemon juice. 

  
The soup will freeze well, so make up a big pot and have some on hand for later.

Hope you enjoy the stew!

Rhonda