CHICKPEA COCONUT CURRY WITH WILTED GREENS

This chickpea coconut curry with wilted greens is ready in under fifteen minutes. It's a quick, easy, vegan, gluten-free weeknight meal.
mains

chickpea coconut curry in a bowl

Can we talk about food shaming?

I’ve talked about food shaming before.

Mostly in pizza form. But after my friend Lily wrote about it the other day {her take is great} – I’ve been itching to bring it up again.

This topic is mega-important to me you guys. And as an influencer in the food space it’s my social obligation to share my opinion with you on this stuff more often, because I haven’t said it enough.

Let’s all stop food shaming each other, k?

The thoughts came to me again when I was in the kitchen making these coconut curry chickpeas as I cracked open a can of chickpeas. Albeit an organic, BPA-free, non-GMO can of chickpeas, some amounts of shame washed over me.

Am I that lazy/slobby/disorganized/any other word that I usually use to degrade myself when I feel like a failure, that I’m using canned chickpeas right now? I’m a former health coach, shouldn’t I be advocating the way for dried, soaked, cooked on my stove-top chickpeas?

My philosophy? Use canned beans, they’re better than using no beans at all. Buy organic, non-GMO, salt-free, preservative free if you can. And if you can’t who cares. Just be sure to drain and rinse those canned beans well. And if you have your shit together and want to soak and cook your own beans that’s amazing. But either way, both are fine approaches and one doesn’t make you better than the other.

And all of this brings me to my friend Emilie. Her blog is one of the first blogs I ever started reading. She even wrote a guest-post for me, way back when. Emilie is down-to-earth and funny. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with her in real life and we text and talk on the phone. I feel honored and lucky to have her in my life. If you aren’t already familiar with her work, get yourself acquainted.

Emilie’s new book The Clever Cookbook breaks it down, in succinct detail the benefits of soaking and cooking your own beans. Because it is, no doubt better for you to do it this way. If this method is new to you, this is a great place to start. The book is packed with stunning photography and helpful/time saving tips, and easy meals to satisfy your whole family. She’s got two little boys, she’s knows what’s up. These coconut curry chickpeas literally come together in under 20 minutes, and it’s one of the most delicious meals I’ve made in a real long time.

To win a copy of The Clever Cookbook leave me a comment about why you love spring! Because spring is coming folks, it’s almost here I can feel it. I will choose a winner at random on March 10 at noon Central, and notify them by email. Contest open to US readers only. Good luck!

the clever carrot cookbook

yellow curry in pot with spoon

yellow curry and spinach in pot with spoon

an opened can of chickpeas

chickpea coconut curry with spinach

Yield: 4 servings

Chickpea Coconut Curry with Wilted Greens

chickpea coconut curry with spinach

This chickpea coconut curry with wilted greens is ready in under fifteen minutes. It's a quick, easy, vegan, gluten-free weeknight meal.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced small
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • (1) 15oz. can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 cups chickpeas, cooked
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 cups baby spinach

Instructions

  1. Heat a large sauté pan over low heat. Add the coconut oil, onions and garlic and sweat for 5 minutes. Then add the curry powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Turn the heat up to medium and add in the parsley, coconut milk and chickpeas. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
  3. Then add the lemon juice and spinach, stir and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Taste and season with more salt and/or red pepper flakes if desired, and serve warm.

Notes

 

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© Sher Castellano
Category: mains

{{this giveaway is closed}}

Thanks to the folks at Page Street Publishing for gifting me an advance copy of The Clever Cookbook!

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Comments

  1. I love Spring because it’s about the only time we get rain where I live and I LOVE the rain! Plus, everything looks so lush and green after a good rain.

  2. Nothing beats the sprouting leaves and flowers in spring. Plus the anticipation of summer fruits!

  4. Spring is when it becomes green, and I so love green! Your photos are lovely, and I enjoy reading your posts. Thanks for this giveaway!

  5. This is such an important topic, Sherrie. Glad you (and Lily and others) are talking about it. I’m certainly an imperfect human being and damn it, who cares. I’m proud to buy canned chickpeas! And rotisserie chickens. And all sorts of other short cuts. Spring: I can just about smell it here in New England. I can’t wait for the longer days. Not enduring pitch darkness at 5pm feels luxurious!

  6. Oh I love that you two are both standing up against food shaming! I admit, I do love from scratch cooking. But I also have many cans o’ beans in my pantry for those nights when I’d otherwise order takeout. And they’re there, silver shiny tops and all, ready to whip up something simple. Speaking of simple – you had me at 15 minutes + coconut + wilted greens all rolled into one chickpea filled savory recipe. Sold.

  7. You and I share very similar thoughts on the food shaming issues, and I make something similar to this all the time. Anything + coconut milk = happy Spencer, though. I just go to Global Foods, load up on Asian veggies, and bam. Curry.

  10. I love spring because the days start to get longer and my yard starts to fill with color again. It just makes me so happy!

  12. I love spring because it makes me feel energised and ready to start my resolutions (they never work when I start in gloomy January).

  14. Spring is exciting! After winter we crave freshness and are thrilled with longer days after cold, dark winters. My favorite part is when the farmers market opens!!

  17. I love spring because it reminds me that every day is a new day, and I get to start again, like the new grass pushing up, the florescent-green leaves unfurling, and the burst of color around every corner. I can’t wait to try this recipe, it looks so yummy! And, I so appreciated what you wrote. We are all doing the best we can and every way we can celebrate each other to better our lives and those around us, is a very good thing! Thank you for this post!

  18. I love spring mostly for the green. Green trees, green grass, flowers in bloom. You feel life coming back into nature and it’s beautiful.

  19. I love spring! It’s my birthday, our anniversary, and the time for dresses.

  21. Spring is my favorite! The cool mornings that have shed the bitterness of winter, the dewy grass and leaves and start of beautiful blooming flowers are just a few of the Spring things I love. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on food shaming. Remembering that doing the best you can at the present moment with what you have, is simply enough. This recipe looks fabulous! I’d love to win this cookbook and get my hands on more of the veggie-heavy recipes.

  23. Everything. Everything. Everything is absolutely perfectly and completely brand new in the spring.

  25. AMEN, Sherrie! I’m so glad you discussed the topic of food shaming. I always feel so guilty when I use a can of chickpeas for a recipe, but why should I? Millions and millions of people use canned beans, and like you said, it’s better than using no beans at all. There’s no reason to feel ashamed of it!!

  26. I love spring because of all the beautiful blooming trees, especially the cherry blossoms. Also, the sense of relief after a cold winter and a rise in happiness in all people around.

  27. Here in California, the best thing about spring is the fragrance of blooming jasmine. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

  28. Awww, thank you for the link love, you amazing woman. Let’s take down food shaming one post at a time. I am so with you and the canned beans when we don’t have the foresight to have soaked and made them in advance. I used to feel a ton of pressure to not use cans for anything, and that’s dissipated over the past few years. I’d much rather start from the beautiful foundation of a recipe like this (YUM!!) and do what’s easy. This cookbook looks amazing! And I’m with Eileen—the scent of jasmine in the spring is just about the most intoxicating thing on this planet. Sans exaggeration.

  31. The sun, the sun, the sun. Riding my bike, planting seeds, getting ready for CSA. Being outside more, the buds on the trees, lighter later. Sandals, cherry blossoms, fresh berries. I can’t pick just one thing!

  32. I love Spring cause it means school is almost over! I kid.But it does mean that my juicer starts getting used much more and I love all the fresh recipes my body starts craving after ask the carb-heavy, comfort food things that came along with winter. Also, sun. Because vitamin D. And sanity.

  33. Beautiful post and blog! I’ve been super sick these past 6 months (stress!) and have all but lost my drive to cook. I believe I’ve been living on convenience food and take out orders. I can tell I’m starting to feel better because for the first time in a long time Ive been driven back in the kitchen and have started (slowly) cooking again! This is in big part thanks to your blog, your honest writings and inspiration. Thank you! So, spring? This is another big one for me this year: I love spring because it gives me a sense of renewal. To watch nature come back to life is nothing sort of magic!

  34. I love spring because you can see and feel the cycle of life all around you. When the sun is out and everything is blooming it makes everyday feel like a perfect day. It reminds me of how grateful I am to have a place amungst such beauty.

  36. I’m looking forward to all the spring produce – fava beans, asparagus, artichokes, woohoo!

  37. I love your open and honest thoughts. The food shaming comes to my mind every time I scroll through social media. My approach has changed from rigidity, to god damn we’re all doing the best we can. And I made my last recipe with canned beans too. xo

  38. I love spring because it is a time of new beginnings! The flowers are blooming, things are becoming green again, and the weather encourages me to get outside more. I love the beauty of the new life that I see outdoors! The spring produce is also delicious – I love local asparagus!

  39. I love spring for so many reasons! I have kids and love being able to get outside with them on a daily basis and it is so much easier to get motivated to get moving when it is warm! I also love spring because the available local fresh produce starts to get so much better as the weather warms! Plus spring is just plain pretty and delightful! Love this recipe and your blog.

  41. Yes food shaming is such a load crap isn’t it? Why try to make other people feel bad we should be supporting each other, life’s hard enough. I’m the same, I easily feel shame at such things, but I do use canned beans, sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much.

  42. I love spring because 1) everything comes to life :trees, flowers, fruit and veggies, 2) I was born in the spring, 3) the days are brighter and longer and 4) it introduces summer.

  43. I LOVE spring because asides from the insane sneezing fits I get for simply peeping outside, I truly enjoy the changing foliage. Even more, it signals baseball season and if I have to wrap myself in an anti-histamine bubble, nothing stops me from treasuring the moments of watching my son play the sport he loves so dearly!!!

  47. I miss the birds in the wintertime. Come spring they will once again wake me in the early mornings with their melodic songs. No loud annoying alarm clock for me. Soon my backyard will be filled with nests of blue and white and brown and even turquoise eggs kept warm by devoted parents of different species. This is what I love about spring.

  48. I love spring so that I no longer have to worry about driving on icy roads.

  49. I love spring because the light starts to creep into my bedroom in the mornings and it makes waking up in the morning SO much easier! Somehow that takes me out of my zombie funk and I don’t even need coffee in the morning!

  50. I love spring because everything starts to awaken. Little buds on the trees, birds chirping. It gets me excited for planting and summer and fresh vegetables!

  52. I love Emilie’s work, and this recipe embodies her easygoing, healthful and delicious style. I also appreciate your thoughts on health and food shaming. There is simply no need or space for it in our community, and beyond that, it’s very often founded in misdirected ideas about what is and isn’t good for us.

  53. I love spring because it is just right! Not too hot. Not too cold. A pretty time of year.

  54. You can’t beat the combination of the birds chirping, the sun rising, a light breeze, and the world around you coming back to life. Spring mornings are unlike any other time of year!

  56. I love spring because it means spring veggie loaded meals, bike commuting to and from and sipping tea on the porch!

  57. This turned out amazing. I made this for dinner tonight, alongside some homemade tortillas, and all 5 of my children gobbled it right up. This will definitely go into our regular meal rotation.

  59. Love the smell of spring and certain birds returning to our area! Love getting outside more and gardening and growing chard for delicious recipes!

  60. If it wasn’t for canned beans, how would we have ever discovered aquafaba?! But really, this is such an important topic and what you wrote was spot on and beautifully said. We are human, we do the best we can. Although I choose to eat mainly plant-based foods (mainly because it makes me feel happy, healthy, and energized) I am not afraid to indulge in ice cream or a crusty loaf of Italian bread now and again! And who the heck cares?! It’s all about balance! As for spring: I love the smell, the warmth, the feeling of renewal. And of course the beautiful spring produce that is soon to come! And lastly, that curry = love it.

  61. Opening up all the windows for the first time to replace the stale winter air with the smell of spring.

  62. What I love about spring where you are, is that it’s autumn where I am. And I love autumn.

  63. Always love browsing your posts. The curry is smelling so good and it will be delish for dinner tonight. Thanks!

  64. The smell of spring so earthy. Little surprises popping up. They’re memories of Granny’s garden.

  65. After reading this, I stopped by Emilie’s blog and found the recipes very interesting. I also like your take on food. I made this curry with an indian twist to it and it turned out good.

  66. I’m with you! I just wrote an article on it called “I Still Hide Food.” I’d love for you to check out. I’m a 15+ year Health Coach who still experiences the effects of food shaming. People have no shame, in shaming! Gasps, wide eyes, and shocked looks are the conditioned responses of “bad food” adopters. The longer I work with food, teach cooking classes and eat, the more I know there is no bad food. It’s incredibly freeing and doesn’t have the effect people worry about (binging on sweets + ice cream), it just makes me eat better. I’m pinning this recipe, the simplicity is perfect for my clients and I’m always looking for more uses for my canned beans! Thanks, Marcie

  68. Hi Klara – I have never tried to freeze this, but I imagine that it would be freeze-worthy. If you try it, please let me know your findings. Be well, xx.

  69. Always looking for new ways to spruce up the humble, but wonderful chickpea and this may well just be next. Anyways, just found your blog and looks great, shall be sticking around for sure!

  71. Thank you for sharing this recipe, its gorgeous and so quick and easy to make. It will be my new favorite go to recipe when I want a yummy and quick dinner.

  72. Made this tonight, and it was fantastic! It’s super easy, delicious and even my kiddos ate it. Thanks so much!

  75. Did almost everything the recipe said to. I changed the chickpeas to butter beans, the spinach to regular kale, (can never find the baby kind, where I live) and threw in the chopped up tops of some bell peppers leftover from another recipe. Delicious! I really, really love the clean taste of the peppers and greens paired with all of the spiciness of the gravy and the creamy beans. I’m definitely trying rainbow chard next time!

  76. Thank you for the recipe, it looks great. We’ll have it later this week when the bitter cold hits. I agree with your take on food shaming. Not everyone has the time, equipment, expertise or experience to do it ‘right’ and even if you do, some days the best you can do is the best you can do. Most of us are dedicated to providing healthy and delicious food for our families in addition to all the demands of daily life and shortcuts factor into that so the holier-than-thou amongst us can just shush.
    It was also a treat to see a recipe intro like this one.

  77. I’ve just pressed through my own food shame recently, and bought canned kidney beans when I realised that forgetting to soak beans the night before was stopping me from making a recipe I’d wanted to make (and more importantly, eat!) for weeks! It was a relief, and I’ve since bought canned corn, as frozen is not easily available here in France. It’s a bizarre thing, the pressure we place upon ourselves for perfection, that prevents us from acting at all. Thanks for bringing this issue up again, and for your beautiful blog. I’m looking forward to making your Garlicky Roasted Chili Lime Asparagus! Roasting asparagus is my favourite way to cook it.

  78. I’m glad you said that. It’s about health but also what is available and, the budget. I find food challenges really stimulating. All of you bloggers are so enthusiastic, and I love looking around and learning.

  79. Yum! I subbed in frozen spinach and added some grated ginger, and it came out delish. Will make again!

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