This hearty black bean stew can be served alone, with rice, or as a side. The star anise brings out the natural sweetness of the lima beans and adds a little extra kick to the dish.
Latin-Style Black Bean Stew
Yields 8 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 quarts homemade vegetable stock or (1 quart of packaged vegetable stock with 3 quarts water)
1 pound dried black beans, soaked in cold water for 1 hour
8 ounce dried lima beans, soaked in cold water for 1 hour
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
4 star anise
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Directions:
1. In a large saucepot, heat oil over medium heat and cook onions, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and continue cooking until they begin to break down, another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add beans, sage, paprika, thyme, and star anise. (Do not add salt until the soup is finished – it will make the beans tough!) Adjust heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring to keep beans from sticking to the pot, every 15-20 minutes, until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Rina Oh is an artist, writer and chef and a Meatless Monday advocate. For the last year these Meatless Mondays recipes have appeared on Food2.com, a website that is owned and operated by Scripps Networks. These posts are copyrighted material and any photographs, illustrations or written material are forbidden to be used or reposted anywhere without permission. For more information on Meatless Monday, please visit meatlessmonday.com