Vegetarian stew packed with flavor
By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick
Special to The Washington Post
Making good-tasting vegetarian food is a lot like creating healthful dishes that are low in fat and sodium. Instead of relying on fat, salt or meat for flavor, you use herbs, spices and contrasting textures. If you're successful, you'll have dishes that please everyone at the table.
I'm a big fan of stews; this one is packed with beans and potatoes, and it gets an extra boost from a fresh salsa of tomato and cilantro. It makes a full-flavored vegetarian entree or a nice side dish for grilled chicken.
MAKE AHEAD: To keep the sodium in this dish low, cook the black beans instead of buying the canned ones (see NOTES below). They can be prepared and refrigerated up to 4 days in advance.
SPICY BLACK BEAN AND POTATO STEW WITH TOMATO SALSA
For the stew:
For the salsa:
For the stew: Heat the oil in a skillet or shallow braiser large enough to hold all of the ingredients (at least 12 inches wide) over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrot, celery and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vegetables have softened but not browned. Reduce the heat as needed if they are cooking too fast.
Increase the heat to medium if needed; add the chili powder and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the beans, potatoes, water and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine; when the liquid just starts to bubble at the edges, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat.
While the stew cooks, make the salsa: Combine the tomatoes, cilantro to taste, lime juice and zest, sugar, salt and oil; mix well.
Divide the stew among individual bowls; top each portion with a generous tablespoon of the salsa. Serve warm.
NOTES: Double-concentrated tomato paste comes in a handy tube and is available in the Italian section of most supermarkets. It can be refrigerated for months.
To cook beans, place 1 cup dried black beans or small white beans in a medium bowl; add water to cover by at least 1 inch and let soak overnight at room temperature.
Drain, then transfer to a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover the beans by an inch or two. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 90 minutes or until tender to the bite.
Drain the beans, then spread them on a baking sheet to cool. Use right away, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. (This should yield about 3 cups total.)
Makes 4 to 6 main-course servings or 8 side-dish servings.
Per serving (using water, not broth; based on 6): 240 calories, 10 g protein, 40 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 251 mg sodium, 11 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar
