KALE, PUMPKIN & CHICKPEA CASSOULET

I wish I could take credit for this beautiful, rustic Cassoulet but all the glory must go to creative Tasmanian farmer and cook Matthew Evans. I found this recipe in the latest edition of Feast magazine and couldn’t take my eyes off it. What really intrigued me was Evans quote re this dish; ‘this is such a great one-pot meal that you’ll probably want to become a vegetarian for winter’. I just had to try this one. Loaded with healthy and wholesome vegetables including kale (or the less available Cavolo nero), pumpkin, onions, chickpeas and tomatoes and topped with breadcrumbs, this meat-free cassoulet is divine. It is the tastiest way I have ever eaten kale and chickpeas and is a true blue winter dish. If you try any winter warmers on this blog- this is the one! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 onions, 1 red & 1 brown, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh rosemary
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 600g pumpkin, peeled & cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 2 large handfuls of kale or cavolo nero, stems removed and leaves washed & shredded
• 140g (2 cups) gluten free breadcrumbs

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and stir, cooking for 4 minutes or until onion has softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute or until it becomes fragrant. Reduce the heat to low and add the smoked paprika, coriander & cumin and stir well into pan until combined. 

2. Pour diced tomatoes and 750ml (3 cups) water into the pan to slow down the cooking. Return the heat to high and add the pumpkin, chickpeas and kale/cavolo nero. Add a pinch of sea salt and pepper and stir well to combine all ingredients. 

3. Transfer the ingredients to an ovenproof casserole pan unless you have used a deep frying pan in steps 1 & 2 that is ovenproof and will fit in your oven. Sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs (1 cup) on top of the vegetables and bake in the oven for 1 hour. After this time, remove from the oven and stir in the slightly browned breadcrumbs on the top, taste and add more salt & pepper if needed. Check the moisture level as well; you want there to be a small amount of liquid just below the chickpeas, so top up with some water if it is looking dry. (I added around 1/2 cup of water). Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of breadcrumbs evenly over the top and bake for another hour or until the breadcrumbs are golden and the pumpkin is tender. Serve hot. 

Serves / 6

Total Preparation time / 15 - 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 2 hours 15 minutes 

x Emily