I got the inspiration for this recipe from this post on Kalyn’s Kitchen. I do not own a crock pot, so I thought I would prepare it the slow food way ~ a simmer on top of the stove. The chef in me wanted to see how special this dish could get with fresh, good quality ingredients. The dish took 2 days to complete, but the results were definitely worth it.
Black Bean Stew with Red Pepper, Chicken and Cilantro
- 500 g dry black beans,soaked
- 1 onion, chopped
- 60 mL olive oil
- 450 g chicken, thigh meat, diced
- 1 L diced tomatoes
- 2 red peppers, roasted, seeded
- 1 jalepeno pepper, seeded, fine dice
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
- 1.5 L chicken stock
- 30 mL cumin seeds, toasted
- 10 mL oregano, Mexican*
- 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
- TT salt
- TT pepper
- TT lime juice
- TT lime zest
- Rinse beans well; simmer for 2 hours. Drain; reserve.
- Sweat onion in some olive oil in a large soup pot.
- Add diced chicken; cook until translucent.
- Add black beans, tomatoes, red pepper, jalapenos, garlic, and stock.
- Crush cumin and oregano together in mortar and pestle; add to pot.
- Simmer at low for 1 hour.
- Add chopped cilantro; season to taste with salt, pepper, lime juice, and lime zest.
- Serve with a good crusty bread.
*If you cannot find Mexican oregano, use regular version. The recipe will work out fine. We use the Mexican version because it has a slightly different flavor profile.
