Curried Eggplant Chickpea & Coconut Stew

Curried Eggplant Chickpea & Coconut Stew

My kitchen is my sanctuary. My absolute happy place.  It's where I unwind after a long day in the dirt. When we are tirelessly working in the fields my kitchen isn't far from my mind. I'm constantly inspired by what's in season at the farm for dinner inspiration and I always look forward to the end of the day when I can strip out of my dirty farm clothes, slip into my p.j's, put on my favorite slippers and relax for the first time all day. My kitchen is an amazing place where amazing things happen. I don't stress out in my kitchen which is a complete contrast from how I feel out in the fields (it's beyond stressful out there!). I love trading my farmers hat for my cooking apron at the end of the day. Even though the farm can be stressful I am always so grateful for the bounty we are rewarded with. When we started farming 5 years ago I made it my mission to guarantee we would always sit down to a farm fresh meal every evening. It doesn't always happen, but more often than not we are relaxing with a home cooked meal at the end of the farm day. Taylor and I have worked out a routine that allows me to come in from the fields a few hours before he does so I can prepare dinner, take photos if it's something I want to share on the blog, pour myself a glass of wine and enjoy the peacefulness of standing in front of my stove mindlessly stirring a pot of soup or whatever it may be. I look forward to this ritual every.single.day. I also know Taylor looks forward to a little quite time in the fields on his own. We spend a LOT of time together (24 hours a day to be precise!) and separate chores can be really healthy. This soup was a happy accident last week. It rained for the first time in ages and I wanted something simple, hearty and comforting. I wasn't planning on having an "out-of-this-world" soup, but we both agreed it was just that. We haven't stopped talking about it since and the leftovers where even more delicious the following day. I wasn't originally going to document this recipe but after I dipped my spoon into the pot for a taste test I quickly whipped out my camera, found my note pad, and jotted down what I thought were accurate measurements! I immediately knew that this soup should be shared! With that being said, please take the measurements for this recipe with a grain of salt (as always!) I typically don't measure my ingredients but when I know I'm going to blog a recipe I take notes as I go. That didn't happen here but I am confident you all can create this with the guided recipe below. Cooking should be fun, experimental and always catered to your own preferences! I really hope you all give this soup a whirl and that your family has the same "out-of-this-world" experience as we did. Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Curried Eggplant + Chickpea & Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 serrano pepper, diced (remove seeds for less heat)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons good quality curry powder + additional for a little more kick
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, less if you are sensitive to spice
  • 1 medium-large eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs?), cut into 1 inch chunks (no need to peel)
  • 2  teaspoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari sauce)
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced, or 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas, if from the can rinsed and drained
  • 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk, reserve a little cream from the top of the can for garnish and reserve any additional liquid for smoothies!
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (plus more to thin if necessary)
  • Plenty of salt and pepper to taste
  • juice from 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Preparation

  1. In a large stock pot heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, ginger, serrano pepper, curry powder and cayenne pepper. Cook until the onions becomes slightly soft and the spices are fragrant. About 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the eggplant, honey, tamari, tomatoes and chickpeas. Cook until fragrant. About 3-5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, veggie stock and plenty of salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30-45 minutes. Add more veggie stock (or water) if too much liquid evaporates.
  3. Carefully, with an immersion blender roughly puree half to 3/4 of the soup. Leave it slightly chunky for texture. You can also do this by carefully transferring half of the soup to a blender. Process until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot with the remaining "chunky" soup and stir until well combined.
  4. Season soup with fresh lime juice, lime zest and plenty of minced cilantro. Adjust salt and pepper as needed and serve hot with a dollop of coconut cream.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide. *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary. *Taste test as you go. *Have fun in the kitchen.

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