This is what I make when there’s a sad-looking cauliflower in the fridge and not much of a plan. Onion, curry powder, garlic, ginger, crushed tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, and kale–it all comes together in one pot on the stove. The result is deeply nourishing, harmoniously spiced, and the kind of thing that gets better as it sits. Serve it with my no-knead whole wheat bread for the full cozy experience.
The spice base is worth taking your time with. Curry powder goes in with the onions and cooks for a full three minutes before anything else is added. That step pulls the raw edge off the spice and builds a deeper, more rounded flavor into the base. Don’t rush it.
Lots of vegetables, stew-y tomato richness, tender greens, and the heft of chickpeas to fill it out. It’s a genuinely satisfying bowl on its own, but equally good over rice, millet, or quinoa if you want to stretch it further. A splash of coconut milk stirred in at the end makes it a bit richer. Several readers in the comments swear by it and I agree.
Potato cook time can vary quite a bit depending on your pot and how small you cut them. Start checking at the 20-minute mark rather than waiting the full 40. You want them just-tender, not falling apart.
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Spiced Cauliflower, Kale and Chickpea Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 small jalapeño or cayenne pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 cup waxy potatoes, ½ inch dice
- 3 cups small cauliflower florets
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1-2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
- 1 bunch Lacinato kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- chopped leafy herbs to finish (parsley, cilantro etc)
Notes
- Start with 1 cup of vegetable stock for a thicker, stew-like result. Add a second cup if you want it more brothy. The stew thickens as it sits, so err on the side of more liquid if making ahead.
- A splash of coconut milk stirred in at the end adds richness. About half a cup works well.
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a heavy + large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly, lowering heat if necessary. Cook until very soft, translucent and almost breaking down, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add the curry powder and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, for 3 more minutes. Add the garlic, ginger (if using), and jalapeño to the pot. Stir and cook until fragrant, constantly stirring to avoid burning the garlic.
- Add the potatoes and cauliflower to the pot and stir. Season with lots of salt and pepper. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot and stir once more. At this point, add 1 cup of vegetable stock (you may want to add more later). Stir the pot, place a lid on top, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat on the stove to a simmer and remove the lid. Cook until the potatoes are just-tender, about 40 minutes. Add the chickpeas and diced kale,, and simmer for 5 more minutes or until greens have wilted.
- Check the stew for seasoning, adjust, and serve hot with bread, naan, cooked brown rice, quinoa, millet etc. Garnish with chopped leafy herbs.
I’ve made this many times and it is so delicious, and satisfying. Thanks for a great recipe!
What a great recipe — and completely made with whole foods. I did replace the crushed tomatoes with tomato paste and added dark and light miso for that umami flavor. Additionally, I sauteed the onions, curry, garlic and bay leaf in a fry pan and then added that, plus the rest of the ingredients to a pot-in-pot and dropped it into the instant pot and set it for 15 minutes. Perfecto! No mess! I’ll be looking for other one-pot recipes. Thank you for this extremely tasty and healthful recipe!
Hello!!!
made this last night for lunches during the week and OMG!!!!! This is simply amazing! The flavor and yet the simplicity to make this dish is out of this world!!
THIS IS A MUST TRY AND A MUST SHARE WITH YOUR LOVED ONES!!
Thank you for this tasty dish!
making it now. Had cauli rice in the freezer, i know it will be different, but…. thanks for the recipe! smells and looks great. may add spinach and second on the coconut milk idea.
Oh my gahhhh… This was soooo good!! My family loved it!! Thank you!!
This turned out delicious! I used collard greens instead of kale and skipped the jalapeno because I’m a wimp and can’t do spice but I absolutely loved it! Will definitely double the recipe next time!
This curry was exactly what I was craving, so good! I added a half cup-ish of coconut milk because I had it in the fridge – highly recommend that! I served it with millet and had to cook it a bit longer (about an hour) to get my taters cooked through. Worth the wait :)
Can I use frozen red potatoes in lieu of regular ones?
Yeah I think that would be okay. Might be best to thaw them out first though!
-L
I made this tonight – it was delicious! Thanks for sharing this with the world.
I liked this recipe a lot, but it definitely did not make enough for 4-6. I’d say 3, tops. I’m doubling the recipe next time! Also, the potatoes cooked in about 20 minutes, not 40, but perhaps that’s because my pot isn’t that thick.
Great recipe! It’s tasty and I find it filling enough to not need a starch (ie. rice, quinoa, millet) on the side.
I added more ginger, bay leaves, and some cinnamon to kick it up a notch
Made this tonight, and it was soooooo good and warm and comforting!!!! I LOVE your blog and everything I’ve made so far has been wicked pissah. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
Hi, greetings from the UK. Love your blog! This curry looks amazing. I am hosting a ‘curry night’ this weekend and I going to add your fab recipe to the list of dishes I am preparing. Where I live I can only find bags of kale cut up (not on stems) any ideas of how much in weight to use in your recipe. It would speed things up for me as I don’t have time to experiment as I am making other dishes. Thanks in advance.
Hey Nina! I would use 3 solid handfuls of chopped kale for this.
-L
Hi Laura, thanks for the information and for replying to my question so quickly! Very much appreciated. Have a good weekend.
This looks amazing.. I really wish someone would just make this for me tonight, I feel like it would definitely become a favourite of mine
I absolutely loved this recipe!! I made it last night for my boyfriend who is a chef, and he devoured the whole bowl! I did however, make a few tiny adjustments; I added turmeric, cumin, coriander and cinnamon to the curry with the onions, and I used sweet potatoes instead of waxy potatoes. I also roasted the cauliflower and sweet potatoes beforehand and then added them in at then end. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!!!
Just made this for dinner tonight and I loved it! I added 1 tsp of cumin because I love the flavor it brings to curry, and 1 tsp of crushed red pepper because I like a little heat. Nothing better than a good curry. Thanks for the recipe!
Hooray for healthy one-pot meals! I made this tonight for the whole family and it was a hit! It was so good, used ingredients we have on hand, and so simple. Love it, and thank you!
Hooray for healthy one-pot meals! I made this tonight for the family and it was a hit! Even our 3 year old ate it:) It was so good, used ingredients we have on hand, and so simple. Love it, and thank you!