Happy New Year! I have a harder time eating green things in the winter, because usually all I want are potatoes and pasta, ya know? I've been trying to eat more kale, as it is a great green option for winter and it lasts a good amount of time in the fridge, either fresh or already prepared. I threw together this rice bowl last night and it was surprisingly good, so I thought it was worth sharing!
Asian Kale & Chickpea Rice Bowl
This bowl could be adapted to include any grain (quinoa, couscous, sorghum, millet, etc.), greens (collards, spinach, etc.), or veggies. I used what we had on hand.
Makes ~4 servings
Prep & Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups dry basmati rice
1 Tbs butter (or cooking oil of choice)
1 onion, chopped or sliced
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbs sesame oil
Salt and pepper
1 large bunch of kale
2 Tbs miso paste
2 Tbs rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar if you don't have rice vinegar)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs soy sauce
~1" piece of fresh ginger, chopped
Sesame seeds
Instructions:
Bring 2 cups of rice and 4 cups of water to boil in a pot. Reduce to simmer and cover, cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with fork once all of the water is absorbed.
Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add chickpeas, garlic, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring every so often, until chickpeas and onions start to brown. About 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
De-stem and chop the kale. Add to a large bowl.
Blend miso paste, rice vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, and fresh ginger with an immersion blender or food processor.
Add miso dressing to kale and massage with hands for a couple of minutes.
To serve, top rice with chickpea mixture and kale. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, and enjoy!