New and Improved Chickpea Stew!

There have been many chickpea stews on this blog/in my recipe handouts/in my old newsletters, but this feels like the chickpea stew to be reckoned with!
Here is the recipe for the New and Improved Chickpea Stew (see picture to the left): 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 medium onions, chopped, 2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced, 1 leek, chopped, 1 cup mushrooms, chopped (I used shiitake and portobello mushrooms), 1 1/2 cup zucchini, chopped, 1 large carrot, chopped, 2 tsp ginger, freshly grated, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 2 - 3 yams, peeled and cubed, 1/2 cup almond butter, 4 cups water, 2 cups chickpeas, cooked (the chickpeas were soaked for 4 hours and then cooked for 60 minutes), 1 cup black kale, chopped, 2 cups long grain brown rice (cooked for 45 minutes)

Place oil in soup pot and heat to low-medium. Add onion, garlic, and leek and saute for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, zucchini, and carrot and saute for 5 minutes (add a few tbsp of water if necessary). Add ginger, cumin, cayenne, and sea salt and saute for 1 minute. Add yams and stir well. Add almond butter and use whisk/fork to mix thoroughly. Add water, bring to boil, reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, add chickpeas and black kale. Serve over long grain brown rice.

This chickpea stew was rich and very delicious - definitely recommended as a filling, warming winter meal!