Spicy White Bean and Sweet Potato Stew With Greens

Katzen's Note:

A flavourful and colourful stew, thanks to the host of vegetables and seasonings. Cook the greens separately to avoid any bitter taste. Because sweet potatoes break down easily, it's important not to cook the stew too long. For a mild, yet still flavourful stew, omit the hot chile. Serve it accompanied with crusty warm bread! From Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.

• Total Time: 4 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 4-6

Yield: 4.0

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 hot chili pepper, fresh, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 cups cannellini beans (canned and rinsed, or cooked) or 3 cups white kidney beans (canned and rinsed, or cooked)
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• salt
• pepper, freshly ground
• 2 cups collard greens or 2 cups kale or 2 cups greens, chopped, simmered until tender and drained

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer mixture to a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Add the potatoes, chile, ginger, tomatoes, beans, brown sugar, allspice, cumin, bay leaves, and stock; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.
3. Close to serving time, stir in the cooked greens. Adjust seasonings, remove bay leaves, and serve.

Reviews

[jmerwamer]

this is a delightfully simple seeming and yet complexly flavored soup. the spices are really suiting (i was skeptical about all of that allspice!). i used a couple of medium sized red potatos instead of a sweet potato - that came somewhat out of being skeptical and somewhat out of what was on hand - but after having the completed soup, i think you could do it either way! it wouldn't be too sweet. the heat of the jalapeno has a deceptive build, so it's a nice warming soup for winter or opening up the sinuses!

[LadyNomad]

I made this on the stove top instead of the crock pot (just cooked everything in step 2 until the sweet potatoes were soft). It came out great! This is a good, hearty stew. It was perfect on a cold night! Very satisfying. I was a little worried because I accidentally put too much allspice in it, but the flavors melded so well that there wasn't a problem (perhaps it helped that it started as whole allspice and was coarsely ground?). I used half a serrano pepper because one of my guinea pigs can't take things that are too spicy, and in the end the spiciness wasn't even really noticeable to me. I used fresh kale and a wee bit of swiss chard from my garden for the greens. I'd like to try it again without cooking the greens separately to see if bitterness really is a problem. One less dirty dish is one less dirty dish!

[Prose]

This was so comforting and flavorful! I used a jalapeno pepper instead of a red chili pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme instead of the bay leaves. Also, I simmered this on the stove for about 30 minutes instead of putting it in a slow cooker. I added the collard greens during the last 10 minutes instead of cooking them separately (I hate to make more dirty dishes than I need to), but I didn't notice any bitterness. If anything, the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the earthiness of the beans balanced any potential bitterness from the greens. Leftovers were perfect for lunch. I will definitely make this again. Made for Veg*an Swap.