Chickpeas & Chard

Chickpeas & Chard

Who knew! Apparently chard grows all year round! Every time we visit the allotment there’s delightful greens, deep reds and yellows to greet us popping up through the bare soil. Not much else is growing now especially since we’ve had frosts this week but the chard… the chard is still there, steadily growing. We use it like spinach, adding it to soups, or sautéing it with garlic and onions, and add it to other veg for a good dose of vitamins A and C, magnesium and iron. Chard is a bit like having two vegetables in one, the leafy greens and the colourful stalks – we usually use both, cooking the stalks first so they get an extra bit of cooking time.

Who wants a forkful?

 

We eat a lot of chickpeas in our house! Too many probably if that’s possible! Back home, hubby would sometimes even have chickpeas for breakfast – a tradition which has slowly crept into our house! Chickpeas are packed full of protein, iron, vitamin B6 and magnesium and also have a good dose of calcium and vitamin C… what’s not to like! 😀

Chickpeas & chard in a richly spiced gravy

 

This is a relatively easy recipe and you can of course, as with most of my recipes, switch the herbs and spices to your taste. You might find it unusual that I’ve used the whole can of chickpeas without draining, but this gives a more intense – a richer flavour without diluting the recipe using added water.

This week I’m co-hosting Angie’s Fiesta Friday with Trupti @ My Culinary Saga. If you’ve never joined a blog party before, just click the link and come on over and join in the fun! There will be loads of yummy food I can guarantee it and lots of new friends to make! What are you waiting for! See you there! 😀

Chickpeas & Chard (Vegan & Free-From)

• Servings: 3-4
• Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Gather

• 2 x 400g tin chickpeas plus their liquid
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• Salt to taste (I used Maldon sea salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5-6 medium chard stalks & leaves chopped
• 3 celery sticks chopped

Prepare

1. Tip the chickpeas and their liquid into a large frying pan.
2. Sprinkle over the paprika, curry, dill, salt and pepper and stir in.
3. Cover and leave to cook for five minutes.
4. Add the chard stalks and celery, re-cover and leave for five more minutes.
5. Lastly, add the chard leaves, stir in and cook for a final five minutes.
6. Do a taste test and adjust seasoning as necessary.
7. Enjoy!

Serve & Store

• Serve with your favourite grain – quinoa, rice, millet, teff.
• Fill crunchy lettuce leaves and drizzle with your favourite complimentary sauce (I choose tahini).
• Add fresh chopped chili for a spicier kick
• Try omitting the curry and using a blend of mixed herbs instead
• Store refrigerated for up to five days.

Can you resist this quick and easy flavoursome dish?