Hearty Black Bean Stew
I’ve always enjoyed a hearty black bean stew, and a longtime friend tells me that her Brazilian husband adores Feijoada, a black bean and meat stew, which is the national dish of Brazil. But I’ve always been hesitant to try this stew since some Feijoada recipes call for pig’s ears, feet, and tails. I guess my soups don’t fare any better since they incorporate pork hocks or the cut of a pig from the lower leg at the joint to the foot. With my black bean stew, I sauté my onions and carrots in bacon drippings and flavor them with cumin and red pepper flakes. I then slow cook the beans with a pork hock and add adobo seasoning, Sazón GOYA® with Saffron, lime juice, and cilantro. This Latin-inspired stew is an amalgamation of so many comforting flavors that it will soothe you and your loved ones on a cold, wintery night!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black beans
- 1 large yellow onion
- 5 large carrots
- ¼ cup hickory-smoked bacon drippings
- 1 x 2-pound smoked pork hock
- 1 x 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, I use Pomì’s even though they’re Italian
- 2 x 32 oz. boxes vegetable broth
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 t. ground cumin
- ½ t. red pepper flakes
- 2 t. fresh oregano
- 1 T. chopped cilantro
- ½ t. adobo seasoning*
- 1 packet Sazón GOYA® con Azáfran (Saffron)*
- Juice of 1 lime
- *Refer to Sources at the bottom of this page for sites to purchase seasonings.
Directions
- Step 1 First, soak the black beans in a large pot overnight, adding enough water to cover the beans with 3-4 inches of water. The next day, drain the water and set aside the beans. Note: it’s important to soak the beans because if you add them straight to the soup, they’ll require a longer cooking time and the soup will become too concentrated as much of the liquid will boil off.
- Step 2 The day of, remove the onion’s outer skin and cut in quarters, placing the pieces in a food processor bowl, if you have the luxury of having one. Pulse 3 times or until diced and transfer the onions to a large mixing bowl. Next, wash and scrub the carrots, chopping them into 2-inch segments, and add them to the food processor bowl. Pulse 3 times or until diced and scrape the contents into the bowl with the onions. Note: if you don’t have a food processor just chop by hand.
- Step 3 Now, heat the bacon fat in a nonstick, 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it melts. Next, add the carrots, onion, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 8-10 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Then, transfer the vegetables to a 6–7-quart stockpot and stir in the adobo seasoning. After this, remove the outer skin off the garlic and pull the oregano leaves off the stems and chop both by hand. At this time, you can also chop the cilantro leaves, but don’t worry if you get the stems. Add the garlic, oregano, and cilantro to the sautéed vegetables.
- Step 4 Finally, pour the vegetable broth into the stockpot and add the beans, pork hock, diced tomatoes, the packet of Sazón GOYA®, and the lime juice. Heat on high until the stew comes to a boil and then, reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes or until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally, so the contents don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Remove and serve hot!
This hearty black bean stew is one of a kind, with beans slow-cooked with a smoked pork hock, and veggies sautéed with hickory bacon drippings. Plus, its seasonings range from saffron to adobo spices, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, and cilantro. Try it and see you’ll be hooked!
Nutritional Information: servings per recipe: 6, calories: 505, total fat: 11.4 g., saturated fat: 4.1 g., cholesterol: 8 g., sodium: 2203 mg., total carbohydrate: 74.9 g., dietary fiber: 16.2 g., total sugars: 22.3 g., protein: 25.1 g., calcium: 211 mg., iron: 7 mg., potassium: 1451 mg., magnesium: 47 mg., vitamin D: 0 mcg.
SOURCES:
Frontier Herb Adobo Seasoning Blend, Non Irradiated, 2.86 Ounces.
Sazón GOYA® con Azáfran (Saffron) or Goya Foods Sazón Seasoning With Azáfran 3.52 Ounce (Pack of 3).