Chilly or cold weather to me means a hearty warm bowl of stew is in order. We’ve had a few chilly days here. Let me clarify, when I say “chilly” I mean temperatures in the low 20°C and upper teens Centigrade; in Fahrenheit that would be a range from mid 70s to 60s. My, my, how spoiled I’ve become. Regardless, the chill in the air (or in my imagination) was making me crave a warming meal. And that’s exactly what I set out to cook.
This bean stew has everything you need in it: lots of protein, energy, a green leafy vegetable and a hot pepper too! It is a scientific fact that protein not only helps keep you feeling fuller longer, but also warms you up as your body is breaking it, the protein, down. We all know how wonderful green leaf vegetables are for us, and swiss chard is no exception. It is actually one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. Hot peppers are believed to raise our metabolism and therefore help keep our bodies warm. I don’t know if this is an actual fact but I do know that my body sure warms up when I’m eating spicy food.
- 1 cup of dried pinto beans
- 3 large smokey sausages
- 6 chard leave, thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled & sliced
- half a small onion, roughly sliced
- 1 green habanero, stem removed but left whole or for milder stew remove the seeds and/or add a smaller piece
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 to 5 cups of chicken broth, low-sodium and no msg
- 1.5 tsp fine sea salt, adjust to taste
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- Heat the oil and once warm sauté onions and carrots, until onions are soft and translucent. Add the habanero and minced garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes, then add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes until it begins to brown. Pour in the beans, broth, chard and sea salt and mix until well combined. Cover, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer until the beans have cooked through. If needed you can add more broth or water, I added a total of 4 cups to get the beans cooked through. It is also up to you how “soupy” you would like to serve the dish, and can add more or less broth or water. Before serving taste and adjust salt if necessary. Allow to cool slightly before serving. If you'd like, slice each sausage before serving on top of the stew. Serve with crusty bread or corn tortillas and white onion slices. Avocado is also a great topping for this stew.
As you can see from the photos, I served corn tortillas alongside our stew. These days corn tortillas are a part of virtually all of our meals. I’m not complaining.
So how did it taste? It perfectly satisfied my craving and need for a warming meal. The habanero complimented the smokiness of the sausage wonderfully. I loved that it, or it’s spiciness, didn’t overpower any of the other flavours — it was just spicy enough.
Have a great weekend and stay warm!
P.S.
Admissions to this month’s YBR are now open. Link up you recipe here.
What a mouthwatering dish and combination! Terrific.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you Rosa!
YUM, what a lovely recipe!
Thank you Raven!
What a perfect recipe for these colder days. And made with really fresh Mexican dried beans (any type!)…how divine!
Yes, any type of beans would be great! Thanks Victoria:)
I’m trying to eat as much of stews and soups as I can while the weather is somewhat chilly here in Phoenix. This looks wonderful, I love all things spicy and especially the chard in here.
That’s great, Gwen, enjoy all those soups and stews. Thanks!
“Chill in the air”… I would love to be there for those chilly days. It is currently -8 Celsius here (-13 with wind chill) and it’s only going to get colder through the evening. Today at work people were getting excited because we might get to see 0 Celsius this weekend!
Anyway, the stew sounds great, I’ll have to try it soon. I love cooking up a big pot of something filling but still healthy when it’s cold (and I mean, really cold) outside. Thank you for all your delicious recipes and photos!
Hi Gauss! I’m horrible aren’t I? Lol. Yes, you definitely know what a chill in the air is. I hope it warms up bit for you. Enjoy your soups and I’ll stop my (silly) complaining. Thank you:)
Really great and warming stew :) real comfort food, looks lovely :)
Thanks Medeja!
It was six degrees Fahrenheit this morning when I woke up- I definitely need some soup to warm up! This one looks hearty and delicious- that habanero should take care of any chill I might have. :)
Brrr! Better get that pot on the stove Betty.
Lovely! The temp last night was 21f (-6C) so I think I will add TWO habeneros! :-)
Too cold for me! Yes I think 2 habaneros is best. Enjoy Arthur:)
In the photos it looks like there is sweet potato or carrot. Am I just seeing things?
Hi David! You are correct, it’s a carrot and I forgot to add it to the recipe. Oops! All fixed now, thanks for catching that.:)
What a great stew! Tasty looking!
Thank you!:)
this looks amazing
Thank you Anna!
G’day! This is my type of recipe Nancy, true!
Wish could come through the screen and try some of your mouth watering recipe! GREAT photos as always that inspire!
Cheers! Joanne
Thank you Joanne!
I could really use a bowl of this warming stew right now. The temps are positively arctic around here. Wishing I could stroll along the beach with beautiful 20C weather…
I’m sending you good weather wishes, Frank.
When I lived in Florida, I always broke out the sweaters and started making stews and chili when the temperature dropped too much below 65F! This looks wonderful – thanks.
So you know my “pain” exactly, John. Lol. Thanks!
That is a comforting and yum looking stew.
Thank you Ash!
My kind of comfort food. :)
We always think alike, don’t we b-day twin?:)
This is definitely my kind of stew!!! Hearty and rich with flavor! That habanero is adding a little burn to my mouth just thinking about it, but it’s a GOOD burn. :) Great recipe Nancy!
Thank you MJ!
This sound so delicious and comforting with the chilly temps we’ve been having here in the northeast. Definitely a comfort food for the season. Thanks for hosting the YBR, it’s always packed with delicious recipes.
Joanne
G’day! It is only brekkie, but am salivating for some of this now Nancy!
Mouthwater photos!
Cheers! Joanne