Chickpea Chile Verde

Our tomato consumption is still going strong but I would hate to bore you with so many consecutive tomato recipes. Another garden winner this year were the boisterous tomatillo plants. I have given away more tomatillos than I have eaten myself. Most of my friends have made and canned salsa verde. I don’t have the time or equipment to can this year, so I looked for less traditional ways to use tomatillos. When I spotted Alissa’s chickpea chile verde, I knew we had a winner!

The weather has cooled off considerably within the past week and despite being a moderate 22C in our house, it feels chilly. We became too accustomed to 25-26C which is not sustainable for our predominantly indoor Canadian winters.

Warm stews and chilis are my go-to in the winter months and would be perfect to freeze for a later time. Cooking a double batch helps to squirrel away delicious foods for the future.

Here, the sweet-tart tomatillos and fresh corn provide a luscious base spiced with cumin and coriander. The chickpeas fit right into the colour palate. I blended a portion, a top from my smoky corn chowder, and it was great. Alissa topped hers with avocado, cilantro and tortilla strips. That would have been great, too.

 

PS. I am sharing this with Meat Free Mondays, My Legume Love Affair, Eat Your Greens and Healthy Vegan Fridays.

Chickpea Chile Verde
Adapted from Connoisseurus Veg

1 tbsp oil of choice
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeds and white pith removed, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 cups vegetable broth
2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed and diced small (about the same size as chickpeas)
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
4 cups or 2 x 19 oz cans cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels (we used 1 ear of corn but frozen would work too)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave (optional, to balance out the tartness)
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add oil. Add onion and saute until softened, around 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno and garlic and saute one minute more until fragrant but not burned.

2. Deglaze with the vegetable broth and stir in the tomatillos, cumin and coriander. Raise heat to high and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add chickpeas and corn. Continue simmering until tomatillos are very soft, about 10 minutes more.

3. Using an immersion blender, blender until partially smooth. You could remove a portion and blend it in a standard blender, too. Taste and add maple syrup, if desired, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide into bowls and top with toppings of choice such as avocado, tortilla strips and fresh cilantro.

Serves 6.