Too Good to Be Vegan: Squash, Chard, Chickpea, and Saffron Stew

Vegan cooking can be thankless. Just by labeling something “vegan,” you’re instantly aware of all of the things you’re not including: chicken stock, sausage, Parmesan cheese. But sometimes you encounter a recipe that’s so good, you don’t even realize that it’s vegan until after you’ve made it. That’s how it was with this easy vegan squash and chickpea soup from the Towpath cookbook that I made last night for dinner. Not until I started writing about it this morning, did I realize what I’d made.

Don’t Make a Futsu Over My Futsu

Have I talked about how into black futsu squash I am lately? I used it in my pumpkin pie and I used it again for this stew (even though the original recipe calls for “Roast Crown Prince Squash,” which seems to be green and smooth). Black futsu seems very intimidating with its hard warty exterior. It kind of looks like a goblin head with a stem attached.

But here’s the secret about black futsu: to cook it, all you have to do is cut it into wedges and roast ’em. You don’t have to peel it. In fact, the skin gives it even more textural intrigue.

The reason people love this squash so much is because of its intensity. The squash flavor is concentrated; it’s a bit nuttier than a butternut, a bit less chalky than a kabocha. But if you’re futsu-phobic (or can’t find one) you can use any squash you like here, it’ll still work.

Bring on the Chickpeas

Squash and chickpeas might seem like strange bedfellows, but, in fact, they go wonderfully together (see here). I think it’s the similarity in texture: something hard that becomes something soft, like an erection in reverse. (This is a test to see if anyone actually reads this stuff.)

To make this stew, I used a bag of Rancho Gordo dried chickpeas that I didn’t even pre-soak. I just threw them in a pot with a whole head of garlic, sliced in half; some thyme and bay leaves; and a pinch of salt. They took about two hours total, which wasn’t bad. And cooking your own chickpeas like this makes them so much more interesting to eat: they’re an unlikely combination of firm on the outside and creamy on the inside.

Let’s Make a Stew

Every step of this stew recipe makes sense. You start by sautéing onions and garlic in olive oil, then adding the chard stems. (Nothing goes to waste here.)

To that, you add saffron threads that you infuse into boiling water. (I received this saffron as a gift three years ago, but it still tasted saffrony.)

The saffron dyes everything a beautiful shade of orange, which is a nice, colorful moment.

Tie it Together with Tomatoes

In goes a tin of tomatoes, and suddenly you have something that looks like a soupy tomato sauce. You may pause for a moment and question whether this stew will make any sense. Don’t worry, it will! Especially when you add all of the chickpeas and their cooking liquid.

The chickpea liquid — infused with garlic and thyme — adds another dimension to the stew. And then you add the squash.

Suddenly it all starts to come together; especially since you let it simmer for 25 minutes after each addition (leave plenty of time to make this dinner).

Add the Leaves at the End

Once your stew is good and stewed, you add the chopped chard leaves and let them wilt down.

And that’s basically it. Check out this beauty.

Doctor it with a little lemon juice at the end; and, if you’re not vegan, a dusting of Parmesan cheese. (You can also add a Parmesan rind to the stew as it cooks, if you’re not religious about such things). And that’s what I call a vegan dinner that doesn’t taste like a vegan dinner. Bring on the angry vegan comments!

Roast Squash, Rainbow Chard, Chickpea and Saffron Stew

A nourishing, rich, and surprisingly flavorful recipe from the Towpath cookbook.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 6 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian

Calories: 300

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the chickpeas:

• 1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas covered and soaked overnight in water
• 1 head garlic cut in half horizontally
• 2 red chillies
• nice glug of olive oil
• whole handful of peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 sprigs thyme
• salt and pepper

For the roast squash:

• 1 pound 7 oz crown prince / kabocha / black futsu squash peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1¼ in pieces (I left the skin on)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

For the broth:

• 4 red onions sliced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 red chillies whole
• 7 stalks of rainbow chard stalk and leaf separated and stalks cut into ¾-in slices.
• 20 saffron strands soaked in 100 ML/3 fl oz boiling water for at least 10 minutes
• 10 1/2 ounces tinned whole plum tomatoes blitzed or mashed (I just used a whole can and crushed by hand)
• 1 lemon juiced
• salt and pepper

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Start by draining the chickpeas (which you've soaked overnight… though I didn't and it was still okay). Place in a saucepan – the chickpeas will expand quite substantially during cooking so make sure you use a large-enough saucepan. They will also cook more evenly if not overcrowded. Cover with 6 cups of water.
3. Bring to the boil and remove all scum. Add in all the other ingredients for the chickpeas (don't hesitate to use any other leftover bits in the fridge that would be good for the stock). Turn down to a simmer and cook until the chickpeas are tender but not mushy, around 1-1½ hours. At this point, season with salt and pepper.
4. While the chickpeas are cooking, prepare the squash. I like to cut my squash at different angles for aesthetic reasons, but just make sure they are all a similar size so that they cook evenly. Coat the squash with olive oil, and season. Roast the squash on a high heat to get a lovely caramelisation and colour. Make sure you don't overcrowd the roasting tray as the squash will end up steaming rather than browning. The squash should cook within 25-35 minutes – you want the squash to be cooked through but still holding its shape, otherwise it will go mushy once in the broth.
5. In another large saucepan, sweat down the onions and garlic in the olive oil over a low heat until soft and sweet – about 10 minutes. Add the red chillies.
6. Add the rainbow chard stalks and continue to cook on a gentle heat for around 5 minutes until they too soften. Season.
7. Add the saffron and its liquid. If you have excess saffron strands left in your container, swirl around with a little water and pour in – don’t waste any of that delicious flavour.
8. Add the tinned tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes until it is slightly reduced.
9. Now add the cooked chickpeas and their liquid, but remove any stocky bits that were thrown into the chickpea cooking liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer for around 25 minutes.
10. At this point, add the roasted squash and cook for another 25 minutes, so all the ingredients get to know one another. Season as you go, and at the end, check the seasoning and add enough lemon juice to cut through the richness.
11. When ready to serve, add the chopped rainbow chard leaves. They will only take a few minutes to cook in the hot broth.
12. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.