Cabbage Stew with Potatoes, Chickpeas, and Kale

Stews are great for several reasons. When it comes to vegetables you can put whatever you like into a stew. So it is a great way to use up those that have been sitting in the fridge for quite a while. Stews are also easy to make. You just have to cut up the ingredients, fry them a little, add some broth or other liquid, some spices and you are ready to go. And then just bring the pot to a boil and do whatever you like in the meantime.

I had some cabbage and potato leftovers from my last post. Cabbage is a great stew ingredient because it’s almost always in season and it’s often very cheap. Potatoes are cheap, too. So here’s a fantastic weekday meal that was zapped up with some kale and a can of chickpeas.

Cabbage Stew with Potatoes, Chickpeas, and Kale

1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic,pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
500 g blanched or raw cabbage*, shredded
1 l (4 cups) vegetable broth
50 g smoked tofu, finely cubed
400 g waxy potatoes, cubed
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried thyme
salt and black pepper to taste
1 400 g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
100 g kale, shredded

*My cabbage was blanched because it was left over from my cabbage rolls. You can blanch yours or just use raw cabbage.

Fry onions and garlic until light brown. Add cabbage, fry for 5 minutes.
Add 4 cups vegetable broth and smoked tofu. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper. Cook over low to medium heat for about 30 minutes. Add chickpeas and kale and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes or fresh bread.