I love it when I stumble upon a dish that is so perfect, it'll be entered into the regular rotation for dinner. This is one of those allstar recipes. I love this soup. It may look like a long list of ingredients, but it comes to together very easily. It's pretty hands off too, which is always good. The flavors in this stew can't be beat. Rice, sprouted beans, spinach, and sweet potato all make a debut, offering up loads of wholesome protein and fiber. There's ample seasoning suggested by turmeric, cumin, and savory. Rich and silky coconut milk make this stew delightfully creamy. This dish is hearty, delicious, and the perfect balance between rustic and modern.
My decision to call this dish Windy Heath Stew came to fruition based off the fact that it's been insanely, insanely windy around here lately. Yesterday, I came home to every single ski and pole crashed on the ground beside the house. I guess that's what I get for not putting them away? In the loft, the windows were being battered so hard that it actually knocked a large, multi-photo frame off the windowsill.
After picking up the wreckage, I searched the house until I found Bob cowered on his bed, in the corner, tucked into a tiny ball of fur and limbs. He has a strong aversion to wind, poor thing. He's basically a big chicken. When I let him out the front door, he looked around sketchily with his ears back flat against his pinhead and then nervously sprinted to the back to door to be let inside at once. Knocking loudly at the door. Yes, he seriously knocks at the door. Sometimes more urgently than others.
Todd had some errands to do after work, so there I found myself...just Bob, the wind, and me. While making this soup, I couldn't help the feeling that I was in a storybook in which the wind was some evil omen and all I was trying to do was cook up some hot and hearty stew in my apron, over the oven hearth for my companion and me to fill our bellies with. Why yes, on occasion I might have a bit of an overactive imagination. Why do you ask? Oh and also, in this imaginary tale...I don't have an electric rice cooker. Just ignore that bit.
Windy Hearth Stew
Serves 8
Notes: Feel free to use any type of rice and/or sprouted beans you'd like. Also, this soup would probably freeze well.
- Rice:
- 1 cup red rice, dry
- 2 cups water
- pinch of kosher salt
- Aromatics:
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground savory
- 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
- Sustenance:
- 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
- 6 cups water
- 1 medium sweet potato, cubed small
- 2 cups dried sprouted beans (I use TruRoots Sprouted Bean Trio)
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- Conclusion:
- 1 Tbsp. liquid amino acids or soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 15 oz. can of full-fat coconut milk
First, cook the rice. I cook mine by combining the rice, water, and salt in an electric rice cooker and allowing it to sit for about 45 minutes. Please cook the rice according to your package and/or rice cooker.
Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil over medium-low in a large soup pot. Add the remaining aromatic ingredients and saute about 5 minutes or until the onions are tender.
Defrost the spinach, then add to the soup pot along with the remaining sustenance ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the beans and sweet potato cubes are tender.
Remove from heat and add the conclusion ingredients. By now the rice should be done cooking and can be added as well. Stir to combine.
Serve hot.
Listening to: Shakira – Broken Record
German Word of The Day: Stew --> Eintopf (pronounced: eyen-topf)
Good Deed of The Day: Please sign this petition to have United Airlines change their policies to protect animals that are flying on airplanes, after a dog was found dead when the negligent airline left him in extreme heat. Bob's never flown anywhere but I couldn't even begin imagine the suffering! So tragic.
[yumprint-recipe id='99']
