With a couple of cellar vegetables, some spices and a little added freshness, you have the most restorative, feel-good stew imaginable. The coconut milk adds just the right amount of richness to tame the sharp ginger and spices. There’s so much flavor going on here, but this warming pot of nourishment couldn’t be simpler to make. I list spinach for the greens here, but chopped kale, chard, collards or mustard greens would all be excellent in its place.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 cup mung beans, rinsed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and 1 inch diced
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
14 oz can light coconut milk
1 tsp coconut aminos (or gluten-free tamari)
3 cups baby spinach, lightly packed
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Heat coconut oil in large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until lightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, cumin, red pepper flakes, cinnamon and turmeric to pot. Stir and cook until garlic is quite fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mung beans and sweet potato and stir to coat in the spices and onions. Pour vegetable stock into pot and stir again. Cover and bring stew to a boil. Then, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook stew, covered, until mung beans are just tender, about 25 minutes.
Pour coconut milk and coconut aminos into pot and stir. Bring stew to a boil once more. Add spinach, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper, and stir until spinach is wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes. Check stew seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Serve stew hot with accompaniments of choice.
