Today I’m sharing a transitional recipe that’s somehow both comforting and fresh and zesty at the same time. It’s a broth-based stew with chickpeas and orzo to fill you up, plus a Chermoula-style sauce to top it off.
INGREDIENTS
Herbs, spices and aromatics:
Garlic
Shallot
Leek
Oregano
Chilli flakes
Carbs:
Orzo
Chickpeas
Broth base:
Vegetable stock
Lemon juice and zest
Chermoula:
Garlic
Fresh parsley
Fresh coriander
Cavolo Nero (or another form of kale, or spinach)
Olive oil
Cayenne pepper
Cumin
Lemon juice
Other toppings:
Fresh dill
Yoghurt (full fat Greek or plain vegan)
TIPS
This is a wonderfully simple recipe so my only tip is to blend the Chermoula with a little ice. This is a bit of a non-traditional recipe, as I wanted to get in some extra greens so added the cavolo nero. With fresh herbs and leafy greens, they can look a bit washed out and not-so appetising once blended up; using ice helps keep your food processor moving with the added moisture, and the cold temperature will keep the green of this dressing looking nice and vibrant.
Chickpea, Leek & Orzo Stew with Chermoula
A broth-based stew with chickpeas, orzo and a fresh, zesty topping
Ingredients
- 3 cloves of garlic (2 crushed, grated or finely chopped, 1 roughly chopped)
- 1 shallot (finely sliced)
- 1 leek (finely sliced)
- 75g of orzo
- 230g drained chickpeas
- 1 tsp of dried oregano
- 1 tsp of chilli flakes
- 1 unwaxed lemon (juice and zest)
- 1 vegetable stock cube (dissolved in 750ml of boiling water immediately prior to use)
- 75g of orzo
- 20g of cavolo nero (de-stemmed and roughly chopped)
- 5g of coriander (roughly chopped)
- 5g of parsley (roughly chopped)
- 1 tbsp of olive oil + extra for cooking and as a garnish
- 1/2 a tsp of cumin
- 1/2 a tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 a tsp of paprika
- 1-2 ice cubes
- 1 tbsp per portion of yoghurt to serve
- 2g of dill (roughly chopped) to serve
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Boil the kettle
- Drizzle some olive oil into a wide-based lidded pot over a medium heat
- Add the 2 chopped / crushed / grated garlic cloves and shallot and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant
- Add the sliced leek, oregano, chilli flakes, lemon zest and season with salt and pepper and continue to sauté for 5-7 minutes until the leek has softened
- Dissolve the vegetable stock into 750ml of boiling water (you may need to add more liquid later)
- Add the vegetable stock to the pan along with half of the lemon juice and the orzo, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Whilst the stew cooks, add to a food processor 1 tbsp of olive oil, the parsley, coriander, remaining lemon juice, cavolo nero, remaining clove of garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, 1 ice cube and salt and pepper to taste
- Blend the ingredients into your chermoula, adding an additional ice cube if needed to get a dressing texture
- Add the chickpeas to your stew and up to an additional 250ml of boiling water if needed, taste and season again if required – cover and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes
- Serve the stew topped with the chermoula, a tablespoon of yoghurt and (optional) an extra drizzle of olive oil
Let me know if you try my go-to stew! And you can see how it comes together here:
But First, Food 
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