Illness fighting barley and chickpea stew

I already have a few barley recipes on Bite-Sized Thoughts and pearl barley is one of my favourite grains for adding into soups. At the same time, I have a tendency to forget about it so it can be many months between barley appearances in my kitchen. With being ill this week, I craved it and set about making what was to be a barley containing soup. I packed so much into the saucepan that it turned into a stew as there wasn't room for any more water!

Barley itself doesn't have proven illness fighting benefits, but like all whole grains, it is full of fibre and a mix of vitamins. This stew is then boosted by curry powder, featuring both turmeric (which has proven anti-inflammatory properties) and cumin (with less proven but still reputed benefits), garlic (well documented benefits for immunity and colds), ginger (good for nausea and inflammation), paprika (which contains a mix of vitamins), and heaps of vegetables packed with vitamins and minerals. In addition to all these features the stew is delicious.

This makes a big batch so you could easily freeze some, especially if you add extra liquid and turn the stew into soup as I originally intended.

Illness fighting barley and chickpea stew

A hearty, nutritious mix that is perfect for winter and winter colds

Vegan and low in fat

Serves 6 to 8 (more if you add extra liquid to make this soup)

Allow at least an hour of cooking time, longer if using raw chickpeas

Author: Bite-sized thoughts

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Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tbsp ginger puree or chopped fresh ginger

1 tbsp curry powder, OR, 1/2 tbsp each of turmeric and cumin

1/2 tbsp paprika

4 cups (1L) vegetable stock

1 cup uncooked chickpeas, soaked for at least an hour, or 1 tin (1-1/2 cups) of the pre-cooked variety

1 cup uncooked pearl barley

4 cups (1L) water (more if you want to make this into soup)

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

200g kale, chopped

Method

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, paprika and a dash of the vegetable stock. Saute for several minutes until fragrant and the liquid is absorbed.

If using raw chickpeas, add them to the pan now along with the rest of the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and allow to boil for approximately 5 minutes, before reducing heat to medium-low and simmering, covered, for approximately 45 minutes. If using pre-cooked chickpeas, simply skip this step and add the chickpeas when you add the other vegetables below.

Add the barley to your pan along with enough water to ensure the barley is fully covered. Bring to the boil and allow to boil for approximately 5 minutes, before reducing heat to medium-low and simmering, covered, for approximately 10 minutes.

Add the remaining vegetables to your pan along with the remaining water and continue to simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes or until all ingredients are cooked. If you prefer your kale to be crisp, you may want to add this closer to the end.

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Fridays.

What foods do you turn to when sick?

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