Portuguese Pea Stew with a Twist
Hello folks! This is Rita here. We couldn't leave you all hanging with a vegetable stock recipe without jumping to some ideas on how to put it to use. And what's a better way of starting than with a delicious, portuguese recipe? This is one of the many home-cooked meals my grandma made for the family since before I was even born. Actually, this a typical dish from our home region of the Algarve. Originally, it is called Ervilhas com Ovos, which literally translates to "Peas with Eggs". We've obviously adapted it and created our own vegan version of this lusitanian classic: a bit of spices, a buttload of potatoes and a healthy dose of kale come in the place of the poached eggs and the chorizo. No animals are harmed here and no tummies are left upset!
This is a very special recipe for me (because, grandma <3) and a very memorable one for André, since it's the very recipe which turned him into a pea-enthusiast. Believe me guys, he was that person who picks the peas out of his plate whenever they are in sight. I had already gotten him into a pea-studded basmati rice but he was still resistant to higher doses of peas, up until I made this stew for the first time. It's the perfect recipe for these brisk Autumn days, it's comforting and warming, delightfully fragrant thanks to the combo of coriander seeds, bay leaves and chopped cilantro and most importantly, it is super filling. It holds perfectly well in the freezer, so you can cook yourselves a nice big batch of this and freeze a couple of portions. We've already added this to our regular rotation and we hope you will too! Stay close, everyone. xo
PORTUGUESE PEA STEW with a TWIST
30 minutes | serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 tsp unscented cold-pressed coconut oil
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, center germ removed and finely sliced
2 bay leaves
1 cup | 50 gr. kale, chopped
1 1/2 cup | 200 gr. cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters
1 tbsp organic tomato paste
2 handfuls | 300 gr. baby new potatoes, washed and roughly sliced
4 cups | 500 gr. frozen peas
1 3/4 cups | 430 ml. vegetable stock
a large handful of cilantro, chopped
sea salt & black pepper to taste
STEP BY STEP
Start by gathering, preparing and measuring all of the ingredients. This will improve your dynamic in the kitchen.
Heat the coconut oil in a pot over medium heat.
Add the coriander seeds and allow to fry until they start sizzling.
Add the onion, garlic and bay leaves and cook slowly until translucent.
Add the kale, cherry tomatoes and tomato paste and stir.
Add the potatoes, frozen peas and vegetable stock and stir.
As soon as the stock starts boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer and partially cover the pot.
Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
Add the chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over brown rice and enjoy.
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY!
Share the photos of your creations on Instagram with the tag #cocooncooksblog so we can see it! xo