How to Cook a Vegan Kale, Potato, and Chickpea Casserole

Introduction: The Case for Vegan Cooking

Many people are challenged by the idea of preparing a vegan meal that is healthy, truly tastes good, and is ethical from sourcing to eating. Yet, with a little planning and preparation, a vegan meal can be even more satisfying than one that contains animal protein. This essay describes the steps in the process of making a vegan dish containing kale, potato, chickpeas, couscous, and olive oil.

Sourcing and Shopping for Ingredients

Good vegan cooking depends on an understanding of how to source food in order to obtain the freshest possible ingredients and, if organic food is an objective, how to ensure that recipe ingredients have been grown according to organic standards. Shopping for this vegan meal is relatively straightforward, and involves purchasing a can of chickpeas, a bunch of kale, about six small thin-skinned new potatoes, a bulb of garlic, and half a cup of dried couscous. The recipe also calls for cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, so the cook should have these on hand. If possible, all ingredients should be organic and ethically sourced.

Preparing Your Kitchen and Cookware

The next step in the process is assembling the ingredients and cookware in the kitchen. This recipe requires a casserole dish such as a Pyrex dish with a lid, or alternatively a baking pan covered with aluminum foil. While the rest of the preparation takes place, the oven should be preheated to 350°F, and a medium-sized pot of salted water should be placed on the stove and brought to a boil for the potatoes.

Preparing the Ingredients

The second major stage in the process of cooking a vegan meal is the preparation of all the ingredients. Even though this is the heart of the recipe, the preparation process will only take about fifteen minutes. While the water is heating on the stove, the potatoes need to be washed and cut into quarter-inch slices. Setting the potatoes aside, the chef can begin prepping the other ingredients: the kale needs to be washed, dried, and chopped; the garlic also needs to be chopped; and the can of chickpeas needs to be drained. The couscous should be put into a large bowl.

To prepare the kale, it is important to wash it thoroughly and make sure no dirt is hiding in the curls and crevices of the leaves. After washing and drying the kale, simply slide a hand down each stalk to remove the leafy parts, or pull the leaves from the stem and tear them to a desirable size for eating. The tough spine can be set aside for use in another recipe, such as a soup stock. It is best not to waste the stalk by simply throwing it away, since finding a use for every part of the vegetable is an ethical approach to cooking. At this point, the kale can be set aside in a separate bowl.

While the garlic is chopped and the chickpeas are drained, pour roughly a quarter cup of olive oil into a large bowl. Into the olive oil, mix the chopped garlic, about a teaspoon of Himalayan salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Then spoon about half of this mixture onto the kale. Rather than using a spoon, use your hands to toss the kale in the olive oil and garlic mixture, as this is the best way to ensure all the leaves are properly coated.

If the water in the pot is boiling, use a ladle to scoop a small amount and pour it over the bowl of couscous, following the proportions recommended on the packaging. The couscous will quickly absorb the water. Next, drop the potato slices into the pan of boiling water. The potatoes are going to be parboiled — not cooked through — so boil them for only about five minutes. When the potatoes are done, drain them. The final step in the preparation stage is spooning the remainder of the olive oil and garlic mixture onto the couscous.