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Clean recipe · cooking.nytimes.com

Chickpea Stew With Orzo and Mustard Greens

A complex and colorful chickpea stew, this is rich with vegetables, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. You can vary the vegetables to use what you’ve got. Here, I keep to the basics, adding carrots for sweetness, fennel or celery for depth, cherry tomatoes for looks. Tender greens, wilted into the bubbling mixture at the end, are optional, but they do add a bright, almost herbal note. I particularly love using baby mustard greens, which are pleasantly peppery. But spinach, arugula and kale work well, too.

Original recipe: cooking.nytimes.com

Yield:
4 servings
Total:
25 min
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Ingredients

  1. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
  2. 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  3. 1 small fennel bulb or 2 celery stalks, chopped
  4. 1 medium onion, chopped
  5. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  6. Pinch of red-pepper flakes
  7. 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary (optional)
  8. 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
  9. 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  10. ¾ cup roughly chopped cherry or grape tomatoes
  11. ½ cup whole-wheat or regular orzo
  12. 1 quart loosely packed baby mustard greens or spinach (about 5 ounces)
  13. Salt and black pepper
  14. Chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)
  15. ¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more as needed

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the carrots, fennel or celery, and onion. Cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, red-pepper flakes and rosemary, if using, and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, if using, or water, along with another 2 cups water, and bring to a boil.
  2. Once the mixture is boiling, add the chickpeas, tomatoes and orzo. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer 10 minutes, or until the orzo is tender. Uncover and stir in the greens, letting them simmer until soft, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add more water if you want the mixture to be more souplike, and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped scallions (if desired), grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.