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 flavour 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 (15 mL) virgin coconut oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 in (5 cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1/2 tsp (2 mL) crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground turmeric
1/2 cup (125 mL) mung beans, rinsed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and 1 in (2.5 cm) diced
4 cups (1 L) low-sodium vegetable stock
14 oz (398 mL) can light coconut milk
1 tsp (5 mL) coconut aminos (or gluten-free tamari)
3 cups (750 mL) baby spinach, lightly packed
1/2 cup (125 mL) cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp (15 mL) 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, chili flakes, cinnamon, and turmeric to pot. Stir and cook until garlic is quite fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mung beans and sweet potatoes 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.
