Black Bean and Chorizo Stew

This Black Bean and Chorizo Stew is reminiscent of a chili, but it is not a chili. There are no dried chile powders of any kind. In fact, there are no spices at all in this dish other than salt and pepper. Yet, it bursts with flavor thanks to Mexican chorizo, fresh poblano peppers, sautéed onions and fire-roasted tomatoes. I sometimes find that dried chile powders in chili recipes can impart what I would describe as a “muddy” taste. The lack of those powdered chiles in this recipe means that the taste is bright and clean, and simply delicious.

In true “The Portion Queen” style, meat is a condiment in this Black Bean and Chorizo Stew, with only 2 ounces of chorizo in each serving. Instead, this stew is plant-powered, with 3 of the 6 cancer-fighting G-BOMBS foods (Greens, Beans and Onions) as well as tomatoes and peppers. Round off 1 ½ cup servings of the stew with a slice of cornbread and a green salad topped with a slightly sweet dressing like this Surprise Banana Raspberry Vinaigrette and you’ve got a satisfying, healthy meal.

Adapted from a Milk Street recipe.

Ingredients for Black Bean and Chorizo Stew

This Black Bean and Chorizo Stew has just a few ingredients, and if you use canned beans, its can be prepared and on your table in less than 45 minutes. I love cooking with dried beans. If you go this route, you will need 8 oz of dried beans, cooked at a simmer in water until tender. The chorizo in this recipe is fresh Mexican chorizo, available in the meat department of your grocery store, not the dried Spanish chorizo variety. 

• extra virgin olive oil
• poblano chilies
• yellow onion
• sea salt
• Mexican chorizo sausage
• canned fire-roasted tomatoes
• canned black beans
• cilantro
• fresh ground black pepper (I love the intense Robusta Black Peppercorns from Burlap and Barrel)
• shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
• pickled jalapeños (optional)

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions for Black Bean and Chorizo Stew

Remove the chorizo from their casings, breaking the meat into bite-sized pieces with your fingers as you go. Remove the stem and seeds from the poblanos and chop into ½ inch squares. Chop the onion into ½ inch squares. Roughly chop the cilantro.

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the poblanos, onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions become translucent, about 8 minutes. Now, add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Finally, add the tomatoes, beans and most of the cilantro and stir to combine. When the mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat and keep the stew at a happily bubbling simmer for 15 minutes. Taste for salt and add additional if necessary. Season with black pepper.

Serve 1 ½ cup portions in bowls, topped with remaining cilantro. Put shredded Monterrey Jack cheese and chopped pickled jalapeño peppers on the table and allow your guests to garnish their bowls of stew as they would like to.

Equipment

I received a set of Caraway Non-stick Ceramic Cookware for Christmas this past year and I absolutely love them. They are lighter than my Le Creuset cookware, non-toxic, gorgeous and blissfully non-stick. I used the 6.5 quart Dutch oven from my set to make this Black Bean and Chorizo stew and its was the perfect choice.

Caraway cookware is available on the Caraway site, and you can also purchase sets on Amazon.

Storage

Like all stews, this Black Bean and Chorizo Stew is even better the next day. Cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator. Consume within 3 days or freeze.

Looking for other hearty, full flavored soups and stews? Try Aguadito de Pollo (Peruvian Chicken Soup), Ciambotta (Italian Vegetable Stew) or Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard.