Chicken Stew with Sweet Potatoes + Black Beans

This stew is one of the best things I've made this winter. The mix of flavors is delicious - smoky, a little sour, and a little sweet. The combination of  black beans, sweet potatoes, and chicken makes for a hearty and healthy stew packed with protein and nutrients. 🍠🫘

This stew is the roundabout result of the chicken I roasted for dinner late last week. After we'd eaten our fill, I stripped the meat off of the carcass and made a pot of stock with it (simple directions here if you want 'em.) 

The next day, I had leftover chicken and a mason jar full of great stock. Normally, I'd make a pot of my go-to chicken soup (celery, carrots, onions, lots of fresh dill, and noodles) but I'm really tired of it and decided to put my spin on a recipe I spotted on Bowl of Delicious, a blog I've recently discovered and am enjoying written by Elizabeth Lindemann. I've made a few small changes to her recipe like swapping cilantro in for the parsley and adding lime juice to the mix. 

You'll need chicken, stock, black beans, sweet potato, onion, celery, garlic, tomatoes (stewed, pureed, fire roasted will all work), smoked paprika, cilantro, salt and pepper, and a lime.

Since the chicken is already cooked, the prep is pretty easy - just mince garlic and onions, cut up the sweet potato, and prep the cilantro.

Once the soup is done, stir in the cilantro, squeeze some lime juice on top and serve with sliced avocado. This stew goes really well with this cilantro lime-spiked brown rice or, if you're pressed for time, you could also just top with some tortilla chips.

I tried this stew and rice out on my book club this afternoon and both were a hit. 🥣Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

This rice is inspired by a Chipotle offering although I haven't had a chance to try their version so I can't tell you how different or similar this one is.

I've modified it by adding all the flavor boosting tricks I employ when I make a pot of brown rice.

Namely:

1. Start by sauteeing some minced onion and garlic in olive oil for a couple of minutes,
2. Then add the washed, drained rice to the pot and stir it around for another minute or two until the grains start to smell nutty;
3. Finally, cook the rice in some broth to give it a bit of extra flavor.

To turn my usual pot of brown rice into this lime- and cilantro-spiked version, I include the lime zest with the onion in the pre-sauteeing step, then add fresh-squeezed lime juice, a generous amount of chopped cilantro, and a spoonful of olive oil when I fluff the rice grains.

¡Buen provecho!

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-- print recipe --

Cilantro Lime-Spiked Brown Basmati Rice

Ingredients
Serves 8

• 2 cups of long grain brown basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2-3 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems, washed and dried
• Zest and juice of 1 lime, separated

Directions

1. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers and add the onion, garlic, and lime zest. Sautee, stirring regularly, for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
2. Add the drained rice to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, for another 1-2 minutes until the grains look dry and smell a little toasted and nutty.
3. Add the broth/stock and the salt, stir once and bring to a boil. Then cover the pot and lower the heat. Simmer on low for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is done.
4. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered for 5-10 minuts. 
5. Uncover and stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed.

You might also like:

Sticky Rice With Mango

Herbed Cucumber & Rice Salad with Field Garlic

Wild Ramp & Lemon Risotto

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Addictive Vegan Ranch Dressing from Dishing Up the Dirt

A friend gifted me a copy of Dishing Up the Dirt: Simple Recipes for Cooking Through the Seasons by Andrea Bemis in those hazy halcyon days before COVID. It's a pretty book, full of robust, veggie-forward recipes inspired by her life on Tumbleweed Farm, the small farm she and her husband, Taylor started and run in Oregon.

I admit to being a little skeptical about this so-called "hippie ranch dressing" made from cashews until I made a batch to serve with a plate of crudites and hearty bread for an outdoor get-together we hosted that first COVID. But it was love at first bite—everyone who tried it was hooked.

Made with raw cashews, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper it's simple, good for you and extremly tasty. It's also vegan but is clearly not for those with nut allergies. This dressing/dip is delicious on/with everything—salad, crudites, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, bread, crackers, and more.

The only change I've made to Andrea's recipe is the addition of cilantro. However, if you or someone you feed have the gene that make cilantro taste disgustingly like soap, feel free to skip it.

I hope you enjoy it.

-Eve

-- print recipe --

Vegan "Hippie Ranch Dressing" adapted slightly from Andrea at Dishing Up the Dirt

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
• 2½ Tbsps fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2½ Tbsps minced dill
• 2½ Tbsps minced parsley
• 2½ Tbsps minced cilantro
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Drain the soaked cashews and rinse them under cold water. Place the drained cashews with ½ cup water, lemon juice, oil, garlic, dill, cilantro, and parsley into a food processor or powerful blender (my little mini food processor is perfect for this and a lot easier to clean than my Cuisinart)
2. Blend until smooth and creamy; this may take up to 2 minutes.
3. Scrape down the sides and add extra water, a little at a time, until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more water to thin if necessary.

You might also like:

Chimichurri: Addictively Herby Argentian Staple Sauce

Tzatziki: Greek Yogurt, Cucumber & Onion Sauce

Gingery Miso Peanut Sauce

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