Smoky Black Bean Stew

Dinner got a late start tonight, so no time to thaw chicken or anything...and I had not planned ahead for tonight's meal either (sometimes this is rare, and sometimes it is not...I go in phases). Anyway, I decided to whip up a black bean stew. I have never made black bean stew, specifically...always a bean chili and vegetable soup, etc, etc...tonight was the night turns out. I practiced a heavy hand with the cumin and coriander, which why I called it smoky. 

Smokey Black Bean Stew

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

1 cup water

2 T, heaping, ground cumin

2 T, heaping, ground coriander

3 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

Salt and pepper to taste

1 T cornstarch + 2 oz. water

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat and add onion; sautee until tender and just starting to brown. Meanwhile, combine 1/3 of the black beans, 1 clove of garlic, a pinch of salt and the water in a food processor and blend well.

Reduce heat to medium low and grate in the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and sautee about 30 seconds, then add the cumin and coriander and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the remaining black beans and the can of diced tomatoes (if you prefer smaller chunks of tomato as we do, drain the juice into the pot, then chop the tomatoes smaller before adding them in). Combine all ingredients well and season with salt and pepper. 

In a small bowl, make a slurry out of the cornstarch and water until smooth, then add to the stew, stir well and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes, or longer if you have time, until thick. The longer you simmer, the softer the beans will be. Serve with sour cream, lime zest and a lime wedge, and tortilla chips. 

(I would normally have used chicken stock instead of water in a recipe like this, but I didn't have any...the water worked fine, but I think the stock would add a lot of flavor and body to the stew)