Ingredients:
1¼ cup pinto beans, soaked overnight
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon oregano
1 lb tomatoes, chopped, reserve the juice
2 ancho chilies
1 pound mixed summer squash
4 ears corn (2 cups kernels)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriandre seeds
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 yellow onions, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red chili powder, or more to taste
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
4 ounces Jack or Muenster cheese
Whole cilantro leaves for garnish
Directions:
- Cook the pre-soaked beans for about 1 1/2 -2 hours in plenty of water with the salt, bay leaf, and oregano. Remove from heat when they are soft, but not mushy, as they will continue to cook in the stew. Drain the beans and save the broth.
- Prepare the tomatoes. Open the chili pods and remove the seeds and veins, then cut the chilies into narrow strips. Cut the squash into large pieces, shave the kernels from the corn. Grind the cumin and coriander seeds into a powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
- Heat oil in a large skillet, and saute the onions over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Lower the heat, add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and coriander, stirring everything together. Add a little bean broth so the chili doesn’t burn or scorch. Cook until the onions have begun to soften, about 4 minutes, then add the tomatoes and stew for about 5 minutes. Stir in the squash, corn, green beans, and chili strips along with the cooked beans and enough of the bean broth to make them a fairly wet stew. Cook slowly until the vegetables are done, about 15- 20 minutes. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning.
- Stir in the cheese and chopped cilantro. To serve – garnish each bowl with some of the whole cilantro leaves.
Serves 6