There is nothing like a bowl of stew for me… I love hearty comfort foods and a movie on a winter night. And this is one of my favorites.
The liberally used spices in this recipe blend together perfectly to create a comforting warmth to curl up with and there are amazing benefits. This article does a fabulous job discussing the bioactive properties of polyphenols found in most of the spices in this stew. Enjoy and feel good about it! https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4227268/
2 Tbls olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced or 2 tsp dried minced garlic
1 Tbls turmeric
2 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp curry powder
1 ½ tsp cumin
½ tsp nutmeg
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
6-8 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 ½ cups veggie broth
2 - 28 ounce petite diced tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes)
2 chipotle chilis, minced with seeds
1 - 16 oz bag frozen white corn
2 – 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Place the onions into a large pot with the olive oil. Heat and cook over medium heat until very soft. Add garlic, herbs and spices. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add sweet potatoes, bell pepper and broth. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cover and cook 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and Chipotle; cook until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Add corn and beans; heat thoroughly.
Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
This is an outstanding stew, however, for some it is a little spicy. Cut back on the curry and cumin to maybe 1 ¼ tsp and perhaps only put one chipotle or even none if you’re not feeling up for the heat. You could always add spice after you cook it if you desire to add more flavor. It’s a terrific stew but a bit spicy.
On another note… this makes a ton of stew! So, unless your feeding an army have your mason jars and plastic freezer lids ready. I freeze this into half pint, pint, and quart jars that are great to pop out for many meals to come when you’re not in the mood to cook but you’re in the mood to curl up on the couch with stew and a movie. Remember to leave an inch space in the top for expansion.