Chickpea and Slow Roasted Tomato Stew with Kale and Chorizo

I mentioned the other day that I'm thrilled that fall has finally arrived in Southern California. I'm loving the cool, drizzly weather we've been experiencing this week. This past Sunday was especially lazy, but a large project was looming in the back of my mind. I just signed up for The Kitchn's Fall 2010 Kitchen Cure. The task this week is to clean out our fridges, freezers, and pantries. I'm of the anal where I actually do this regularly anyway, but I still had some things lurking in my freezer that desperately needed to be used. I haven't really known what to do with my latest batch of slow roasted tomatoes, but as I was attempting to take a nap on Saturday afternoon, a great idea came to me. Originally I thought I would make my soup again, but instead, I decided to kill a few birds with one stone. I could use my tomatoes, some chickpeas, chorizo, onions, and garlic I all had in my kitchen as well as expedite the task of cleaning things out.  I absolutely love to do this kind of cooking, especially at this time of year so I had a lot of fun making this. As usual with my recipes, I give exact measurements, but feel free to play around with the flavors to make this your own. I can't wait to make more soups and stews this fall and winter. 




Chickpea and Slow Roasted Tomato Stew with Kale and Chorizo
(By Esi)

Makes 4 servings

1 cup crumbled Mexican chorizo
1 small onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups slow roasted tomatoes, pureed (about 1 1/2 cups of puree)
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dry red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
2-15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 pound kale, rinsed, leaves roughly chopped
Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Toasted bread for serving


Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until the fat has rendered and the chorizo is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the chorizo from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind.

Add the onions and cook 4-5 minutes until the onions have softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, chili flakes, water, and wine. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add the chickpeas to the pan. Bring the tomato and chickpea mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly.

Stir the kale into the skillet. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until the kale has wilted, but still has some bite.  Add the reserved chorizo back to the pan and stir to combine. Taste again and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve warm with toasted bread to soak up the juices.

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