Spicy Kamut And Chickpea Stew
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Kamut is an interesting grain. It’s old. I mean, really old.
It came from King Tut’s tomb!
WHAT IS KAMUT?
The reintroduction of this ancient grain is credited to an American Airman who was gifted the grains in the 1940s. The gifter of the grains alluded to the fact that these grains were found in King Tut’s tomb.
The airman send home 36 grains to his father, a farmer, who turned very few grains into thousands of bushels, calling it King Tut’s Wheat.
Unfortunately, aside from a small local following, the grain was not popular and fell off the radar.
In 1978, Bob Quinn, who had sampled Kamut many years earlier, returned home to the family farm after completing his Ph.D in Plant Biochemistry to find his father Mack growing khorasan wheat. During those years, the father and son became more interested in organic farming and by 1989 their entire farm had been converted to a certified organic farm.
By 1990, the word was out on this ancient grain and the interest was growing rapidly. Many people with wheat sensitivities were able to eat this grain without ill effects!
Khorasan wheat has a very different nutrition profile than modern wheat, and due to the unique health benefits, Mack and Bob decided to act to protect the heirloom grain. They trademarked “Kamut”, creating a guarantee that the original grain would always be grown organically and remain unmodified.
There is now a faction of famers in Montana, Alberta, and Saskatchewan dedicated to growing Kamut and upholding the standards of the grain.
These plants ARE gluten containing wheat plants, but they AREN’T hybridized like modern wheat. This makes them more tolerable to many people with gluten intolerances!
This recipe is dedicated to King Tut and old school goodness.
HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS KAMUT STEW RECIPE:
BATCH cooking? This Kamut stew recipe is perfect for freezing and thawing. Check out these storage containers – they are perfect for meal prep and freezing.
THIS recipe is filling! One bowl is enough to keep me satisfied from lunch until I leave work for the day.
IF you don’t love chickpeas, you can always add some chicken or beef.
KAMUT has an awesome nutritional profile, and is known as the “high energy grain” because of its high lipid content.
SOAK the Kamut grains overnight if you can, if not they may take a bit longer to become tender in the soup.
📖 Printable Recipe
Spicy Kamut And Chickpea Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kamut – rinsed* See recipe notes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 carrots peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 4 cups vegetable broth chicken would work also
- 1 500 ml jar salsa
- pinch – red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper – to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1 can chickpeas
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until tender crisp.
- Add broth, Kamut, salsa, pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil – reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves.
- Add chickpeas and chopped spinach, stir well to combine and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until chickpeas are heated through and spinach is wilted.
Notes
Nutrition
How big a jar of salsa? Otherwise this recipe sounds great and easy.
Oh gosh! I didn’t even think of different sizes. I always get 500 ml, so 2 cups!
I will edit the recipe right now!
I made this tonight! It was delicious!
I wasn’t sure if I’d like it; I’ve never put salsa in a soup/stew, and I’ve never eaten kamut grains. But it’s very warming, perfecting for a cold day, and super flavourful. I didn’t use as much salsa, and I had to add some more water, but all in all it was great. Thanks!
So glad to hear you loved it! Kamut is pretty tasty eh?
I put a little chicken with mine and that was the only thing that I added and a little bit of garlic fresh out of the garden it was superb
Yum! That sounds so delish!
The history of Kamut was very informative. However, I think your choice of the word “bastardize” to describe modern hybrid wheat takes away from the professionalism of the article. Hybrid wheat was designed to solve certain problems and meet certain goals.
Hey Bob, I read back through it, and agreed on both fronts. Have edited the sentence. Thanks for touching base – I appreciate it