Turmeric ‘n Greens Stew

with Parmesan Brazil Nut Crumble

Yellow Archangel (a.k.a. Golden Dead Nettle or Lamiastrum galeobdolon) grows wild along the river behind my house in Snoqualmie Valley, Washington in the spring. It’s in the mint family, but has a sweeter flavor than most other mints. It’s edible, delicious, fun to find and pick, and good for me—it has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and well as some important nutrients like calcium, phosphorous, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and sulfur. So I made a stew for it! But you could also sub in dandelion leaves, kale, etc. if you don’t have access to yellow archangel—or just omit it and stick with chard.

This pretty vine is considered a “noxious, invasive weed” in Washington, so I think I’m doing the state some favors by picking and eating it. If you’re also eating wild plants, just make sure you’re 100% sure you’ve correctly identified a plant before you eat it, and avoid areas that have been sprayed or fertilized—it’s a mystery what chemicals might be on those leaves.

The ginger, red pepper, and black pepper in this stew give it some heat. If you find it a bit too spicy, go heavy with the fresh Thai Basil leaves on top to cool things off. Makes about 2 quarts (feeds roughly 2-3 people as a main dish).

Ingredients

• (2 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped. Should make roughly 2 tablespoons worth

• 1 medium white onion, rough chopped into bite-sized pieces. Should make roughly 2 cups worth

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 4 large cloves)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas, with liquids

• 1 (15 oz) can of unsweetened full fat coconut milk

• 2 cups of low-sodium vegetable stock

• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• Up to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (choose quantity depending on your tolerance for spiciness/heat, or just omit completely. I use 1 teaspoon and it give it a lot of heat)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 bunch of Rainbow Chard

• 1 huge handful of young yellow archangel leaves or other wild, edible “weeds” such as dandelion leaves or hairy bittercress (about 1 cup of loose leaves)

• For Brazil Nut Parmesan Crumble: 1 cup whole raw dry Brazil nuts, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• Topping Ideas: fresh Thai Basil leaves, fresh microgreens, fresh mint leaves, Brazil Nut Parmesan Crumble, fresh cracked black pepper

• Tools: Stock Pot, Food Processor

Instructions

1. I recommend making the Brazil Nut Parmesan Crumble first, but you may also squeeze this step in while the soup is simmering, if you prefer (but you’ll also need to chop chard at that time, too. So pick your battles?). To make the crumble: Combine the brazil nuts, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder and blend in a food processor until the mixture breaks down and there are no large, out-of-place nut chunks left--about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

2. Peel and chop fresh ginger, onion, and garlic (unless using pre-minced garlic from a jar, in which case you obviously don’t need to chop it. The garlic flavor will be a little different overall, but it’s a decent trade-off for busy people). Rinse your cutting board so you can use it later for the chard.

3. Heat oil in a medium (4 quart+) stock pot over medium to medium-high heat. Cook veggies in oil until garlic and ginger become very fragrant, and the onions are translucent with some browned edges, about 4-7 minutes.

4. Add chickpeas, coconut milk, vegetable stock, ground turmeric, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon to the pot. Stir, cover with a vented lid (or tilt the lid of the pot), and bring to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low, or on a heat where you can just barely maintain a gentle simmer. Think “cute, mildly bubbling hot spring” rather than “scary, molten lava.” Set a timer and simmer at that level for 15 minutes to incorporate flavors and soften the chickpeas.

5. While the soup is simmering, wash and chop your chard into large-ish bite sized pieces (stems included), then set aside. Pick the leaves from your archangels and rinse them; add to the chard bowl. If you haven't already made your Brazil Nut Parmesan Crumble, do it now (if using).

6. When the 15 minute soup timer is up, add the chopped chard and archangel leaves. Simmer with the lid on and vented for 5-7 minutes, or until the chard leaves are bright green, and the stems are tender. Taste and add more salt and other seasonings now, if desired.

7. Serve into bowls and add desired toppings. If you have any leftover archangel leaves, try steeping them to make tea!

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PS - Around March and April in Washington, you’ll find Purple Dead Nettle (photo below) popping up, too! I snagged some of those and used them for tea as well.