§03 · Dinner · aaron-chow-lunch
Aaron Chow Lunch
The savory half of Aaron Chow — the two recipes that inspired Minimum Viable Pantry itself, named for their author, who spent 7+ years refining it into a nearly complete meal in one bowl. A thick, boldly spiced one-pot stew of over a dozen vegetables, grains, and legumes, brightened with lime and vinegar. Paired with the breakfast half, it's a week's worth of variety in two meals. Meet Aaron Chow Breakfast →
Ingredients
Everything here is in your pantry — no shopping trip.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 1 tbsp 14 g
- Onion 1 110 g
- Garlic 8 cloves 24 g
- Cumin 2 tbsp 13 g
- Chili Powder 1½ tbsp 11 g
- Turmeric 1 tbsp 8.4 g
- Ground Ginger 1 tbsp 4.8 g
- Garlic Powder 1 tbsp 8.4 g
- Onion Powder 1 tbsp 6.9 g
- Black Pepper ½ tsp 1.2 g
- Crushed Tomatoes 1 can (14.5 oz) 411 g
- Brown Rice ½ cup 93 g
- Green Lentils ½ cup 96 g
- Red Lentils ½ cup 96 g
- Quinoa ½ cup 85 g
- Sweet Potato 1½ cups 200 g
- Carrots 1 61 g
- Better Than Bouillon 2 tbsp 34 g
- Cabbage 2 cups 178 g
- Black Beans 1 can (15 oz) 253 g
- Chickpeas 1 can (15 oz) 253 g
- Nutritional Yeast 2 tbsp 10 g
- Frozen Broccoli 3½ cups 308 g
- Frozen Spinach 2 cups 170 g
- Bottled Lime Juice 3 tbsp 46 g
- Apple Cider Vinegar ¼ cup 60 g
- Sea Salt to taste to taste
Method
- Heat the 1 tbsp14 g olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add the 1110 g diced onion and cook until soft, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in the 8 cloves24 g garlic, minced with the 2 tbsp13 g cumin, 1½ tbsp11 g chili powder, 1 tbsp8.4 g turmeric, 1 tbsp4.8 g ground ginger, 1 tbsp8.4 g garlic powder, 1 tbsp6.9 g onion powder, and ½ tsp1.2 g black pepper, and bloom 30–60 seconds until fragrant — this is where the spices wake up.
- Stir in the 1 can (14.5 oz)411 g crushed tomatoes and cook 2 minutes to deepen.
- Add the ½ cup93 g brown rice, rinsed, ½ cup96 g green lentils, rinsed, ½ cup96 g red lentils, rinsed, ½ cup85 g quinoa, rinsed, 1½ cups200 g sweet potato, diced, and 161 g diced carrot, then the 2 tbsp34 g bouillon dissolved in about 7 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered about 40 minutes, stirring now and then and adding water if it thickens too far — the brown rice is the long pole, and everything melts down soft around it.
- Stir in the 2 cups178 g cabbage, shredded, 1 can (15 oz)253 g black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 can (15 oz)253 g chickpeas, drained and rinsed, and 2 tbsp10 g nutritional yeast, and simmer 10 minutes more, until the cabbage softens.
- Add the 3½ cups308 g frozen broccoli and 2 cups170 g frozen spinach and simmer 5 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and the greens have wilted in.
- Off the heat, stir in the 3 tbsp46 g lime juice and ¼ cup60 g apple cider vinegar. Season with salt, to taste, and add more black pepper if it needs it.
Kids: this one’s boldly spiced — ladle their portion into a bowl, stir in a splash of water to loosen and mellow it, and let it cool before serving.
Dietary
- Gluten free
- Tree nut free
- Peanut free
- Soy free
- Sesame free
Nutrition
Vitamins & minerals
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