South American Black Bean Stew

A flavorful South American black bean stew with chicken and smoked ham served over rice.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken or turkey breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 pound smoked ham, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 (28-ounce) cans reduced-sodium whole tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped
4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
4 cups chopped kale
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
6 cups hot cooked rice

Cooking Directions:

1. Cook chicken and ham in oil over medium heat in large Dutch oven until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes; remove from pan. Add onions, celery, and garlic to Dutch oven; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Return meats to Dutch oven; add tomatoes, beans, sage, oregano, cumin, and orange rind; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in kale; simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice.

Makes 12 servings (generous 1 cup each).

Tip: The stew can be made 2 to 3 days in advance; refrigerate, covered.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/12 of recipe): Calories 436; Fat 5g; % Calories from Fat 10; Carbohydrate 68g; Folate 239mcg; Sodium 893mg; Protein 33g; Dietary Fiber 9g; Cholesterol 45mg.

Recipe provided courtesy of The Bean Education & Awareness Network.