{recipe} Chickpea and Kale with Tomato Sauce

This dish might not look pretty to photograph but I found it delicious. I made it the week after I returned from my Portland trip. During the trip, we participated in a food tasting that lasted about 4 hours (including walking time, but still), it was a lot. Although I enjoyed every sip of my lattes, every morsel of chocolate and every lick of ice cream, I was ready for some lighter food the following week.

The original recipe was actually a soup, but I wanted something thicker that I can eat on top of steaming hot rice or spaghetti squash. So I adapted the recipe and the result turned out great. The protein from this dish comes from the garbanzo beans and I loved that it incorporate kale. I always try to incorporate kale in my veggie intake, and this would be a good dish for it.

This was also baby food friendly. I always introduce my little guy to the foods we are eating, I just put it on his tray during meal times and see if he will pick it up. I just chopped up all the pieces and he ate it all. I also add a little butter to his spaghetti squash.

Chickpea and Kale with Tomato Sauce

3 garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 bunch/bag of kale – stems chopped, leaves torn (I used Trader Joe’s pre-packaged kale)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 can or 2 cups chickpea (rinsed and drained)
salt & pepper to taste
lemon juice (1/2 lemon, optional)

Directions:

Heat a saute pan over low to medium heat. Add oil and then garlic to heated oil. Once you can smell the garlic, add in onions and kale stems with a pinch of salt. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add in crushed tomatoes and paprika. Simmer for another 3 minutes and then add in kale leaves, as much as can fit into the pan. Add more as room is made. Toss in chickpeas and then simmer for additional 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice if desired.

***** I ate this sauce with spaghetti squash or served on brown rice.