Chickpea Kale Stir Fry

You will love this simple but flavourful chickpea and kale stir fry drizzled with the most delicious, creamy peanut miso sauce.

The kale stir fry is savoury and smoky thanks to smoked paprika and chipotle powder, and the miso dressing is the perfect balance of sweet, salty, tangy and umami.

The recipe comes together in just 20 minutes and can be enjoyed on its own or served over roasted sweet potatoes, rice or noodles. It can also be paired with tofu or tempeh for extra protein!

You can also just make the miso stir fry sauce and use it for other stir fries, noodles, rice, dipping and more. Enjoy this tasty meal any night of the week!

Recipe Highlights

• Vegan and gluten-free.
• A versatile sauce you can use for other dishes.
• Quick and easy to make.
• Ready in 20 minutes.
• Great way to eat nutritious chickpeas and kale.

For the Miso Peanut Sauce

• Peanut Butter. Looks for natural peanut butter with 1 or 2 ingredients, either just peanuts or peanuts and sea salt.
• Miso. The recipe calls for red miso but white or yellow will also work. Red miso has a stronger, saltier flavour.
• Sweetener. The sauce can be sweetened with agave, brown rice syrup or maple syrup. Coconut sugar would also be suitable.
• Vinegar. Vinegar is used to add acidity and help balance the miso and sweetener. Use brown rice vinegar, regular rice vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar. In a pinch, apple cider vinegar will also work.
• Sesame Oil: Used for flavour so don’t swap it for another oil.
• Lemon: You’ll need 1-2 lemons to make the lemon juice.
• Garlic: The sauce calls for 1 clove of garlic but you could substitute 1 tsp garlic powder if needed.

For the Kale Stir Fry

• Onion: You’ll need 1 small red onion though you could substitute white onion, yellow onion or shallot if needed.
• Chickpeas: 1.5 cups is a 15 oz can. Feel free to use a bit more if you want!
• Smoked Paprika: Adds a smoky flavour but regular paprika would also work.
• Chipotle Powder: If you don’t have chipotle powder available you could use chili powder.
• Kale: 1 large bunch of fresh kale or about 6-8 handfuls. I used Tuscan/dinosaur kale but any variety works.

Step 1. Make the miso peanut sauce.

To make the sauce, add everything to a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Set it aside while you make the stir-fry.

You can adjust the miso to taste if you like, adding a little more for more umami flavour. You may also need a bit more water to adjust the consistency to a thick yet pourable dressing.

Step 2. Make the stir fry.

Add the sesame oil, onion, chickpeas, garlic, salt, paprika and chipotle powder (everything but the kale) to a large skillet or wok.

Heat on medium-high heat and stir-fry until the onion is golden brown and the dish is fragrant. Stir it frequently to prevent burning.

Add the kale to the skillet and stir fry while stirring for 2-3 minutes until it’s wilted.

Serve your stir fry over roasted sweet potatoes or something else of your choosing and drizzle with a generous amount of the miso peanut sauce.

Extra miso sauce can be used for roasted vegetables, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes, bowls like this quinoa power bowl, tofu edamame bowl or brown rice bowl, tossed with noodles, drizzled over rice or used as a dipping sauce for tofu or summer rolls.

Storing and Making Ahead

• The miso peanut sauce can be made a few days ahead of time and stored in the fridge in a sealed container.
• The stir-fried kale and chickpeas can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, mixing between each, or in a pan on the stovetop.