Puchero is a peasant stew from Spain, but is prepared in a number of countries in Central and South America, and in the Phillippines. The word “puchero” translates to “stew pot” in English. Many times, the broth is made from meat or cured bones. Depending on the country preparing it, there are variations in some of the ingredients. Most of the time, chickpeas are included, regardless of the region. Inspired by recipes for puchero, I put together this delicious vegan sweet potato chickpea stew recipe.
With a generous amount of smoked paprika, a hint of cloves, a bit of red miso, a splash of sherry vinegar and a dab of soy sauce, we’ll create a hearty chickpea sweet potato stew. It cooks up fast, and tastes even better the next day. Serve with some crusty bread, and you’re in for a real treat.
I like the way whole cloves intensify the flavor of the broth over time (much like the bay leaf works!), but it can be annoying to accidentally bite down on a whole clove in the middle of devouring a bowl of sweet potato and chickpea stew. I recommend fishing them out before serving, avoiding them with your spoon (like you would a bay leaf), or using ground cloves, if it’s a real deal breaker for you. The cloves create a unique flavor, so I definitely would not skip them, but find a way to incorporate them that works for you!
Checkout more UVK recipes, like Slow Cooker Plantain Soup with White Sweet Potato and Sweet Corn, Potato Swiss Chard Soup, Gnocchi with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes, Chimichurri Chickpea Potato Salad, Vegan Slow Cooker Stewed Green Beans and Tomatoes, Slow Cooker Tempeh Sauerkraut Stew or Lemon Artichoke Asparagus Soup.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Stew
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (OR ~1½ cups chopped yellow onion)
½ cup leeks (white part only; thoroughly cleaned), thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 cups peeled, bite-size pieces of sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
4 cups water
2 15.5 ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 whole cloves (OR ⅓ tsp ground cloves) – see note above
2 bay leaf
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp red miso
1 ½ Tbsp sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
4 cups torn chard with middle stems removed from each leaf
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1. First, you’ll want to sauté the aromatics for the vegan sweet potato chickpea stew. In a large, heavy pot or dutch oven, add olive oil, onions and a dash of salt. Sauté for ~5 minutes over medium-low heat or until completely soft and a bit translucent. Stir in garlic and leeks and sauté another 3 minutes.
2. Add the smoked paprika and sweet potatoes to the pot. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes—stirring frequently. Then, add water, chickpeas, cloves, bay leaves and 1 Tbsp red miso. Over high heat, bring the pot to a boil. Once it boils, turn down to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 7 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
3. Stir in the remaining 1 tsp red miso, sherry vinegar and soy sauce. Taste, and adjust seasonings, if needed. Then, stir in the chard, and continuing stirring until it wilts (~1 minute). Cover and remove the vegan sweet potato chickpea stew from heat, and let the flavors marry for ~10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed (salt? black pepper?). Serve.