My weekly organics box included lots of late summer veggies like zucchini, corn and potatoes. I decided to make a hearty stew for dinner. There were various hot peppers included this week, too. I didn't know exactly what they were, so I just chopped them up and threw them in. The stew starts off with a relatively sweet flavor, but has a nice kick at the end.
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 2 Hours
Total Time: 2.5 Hours
Yield: 8
Ingredients:
As I was working with fresh organic veggies, I had a lot of chopping and prep involved. You could save some time by using frozen veggies instead of fresh. I also cut off a section of a pork loin that I'm planning on cooking later in the week. You could use pork chops or any other type of meat you might have handy. I did use Better than Bouillon chicken base. I like it better than bouillon cubes and I didn't have any liquid broth handy.
- 1-2 lb pork
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 lb potatoes, chopped
- 1 bunch carrots (5 large), sliced
- 5 peppers*, chopped and deseeded
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 1 qt chicken stock or bouillon
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 bunch kale, chopped
- salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, to taste
*Use whatever pepper your family enjoys. I used a combination of hot and sweet ones. It would be also good with regular bell peppers.
Steps:
- Cut pork into cubes.
- Brown the pork with oil in a hot stockpot or Dutch oven. Add salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add more oil to the pot and cook chopped onions and garlic until they start to brown.
- Add corn, peppers and the cooked pork, including any juices.
- Add zucchini and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add chicken broth, carrots and potatoes and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover pot. Cook on low for 1-2 hours, until the potatoes and carrots are soft.
- Add kale and parsley. Continue on simmer for 10 minutes or so.
- Add salt, pepper and Italian seasonings. Adjust the taste to your liking. If the soup is too sweet, add in a bit of apple cider or white wine vinegar to correct it. I also used a bit of Worchestershire sauce to add flavor.
