A Hearty, Healthy Fall Stew

Recipe

Moroccan Chickpea and Spinach Stew

This lovely stew has been a staple recipe for both my sister and I over the last month or so. We originally made it because of its nutritional value (and because we were slowly but surely working our way through my copious amounts of CSA tomatoes), but it has stayed in our recipe rotation since then because it really tastes fantastic. It's packed full of chickpeas, which makes it quite filling and protein-rich. The recipe calls for slightly mashing some of the chickpeas, which adds a nice, thick texture, but isn't a necessary step if you don't want to bother. Tomatoes and baby spinach get plenty of vegetables in every bowl - and, coincidentally, you can make this work year-round even if you try to buy fresh produce only in season: canned tomatoes can be substituted for fresh, and just about any leafy green could work in place of spinach (think chard, kale, etc.). What really makes this soup special and crave-worthy, though, is the heady flavor created by the Moroccan-influenced spices. Cumin, paprika, a pinch of cayenne, and...the rock star of this stew, in my opinion: cinnamon. Yes, cinnamon. Trust me, it's delicious.

On another note: if any of my blog readers are members of St. Paul's Mississippi Market Co-op, please consider voting for me! I am running for their Board of Directors, and the election runs until October 20. If you read my blog, you already know how passionate I am about healthy, whole foods, so I'll spare you my spiel...but I would appreciate your vote. Thank you!

Looking for other hearty soups and stews? Try Oven Beef Stew or White Chicken Chili.