Santa Fe Stew

A few weeks ago my friend Rachel wrote to me about spring pretending to come, only to be chased away by wintry weather. She said that one of her remedies to bring light into her kitchen was cooking with Hatch chiles from New Mexico. Her evocative description of the magic of chiles led me to stir up a pot of Santa Fe Stew.

Traveling through New Mexico during the harvest season last autumn, I was reminded of the “three sister” crops—beans, corn, and squash—that Native Americans grew together. This stew uses two of the sisters—beans and squash—and then adds in peppers, so I call it a “three cousins” dish. 

Mollie Katzen’s cookbook Vegetable Heaven brought this recipe to my attention years ago. Katzen employed both fresh chiles and chile powder to flavor the stew. Since I had some red Hatch chile powder from our New Mexican trip, I used it for half of the chile powder called for in the ingredients.

The enticing smell of onions gently sizzling in cumin and a touch of cinnamon fills the kitchen as you begin making the stew.

After chopped chiles, lots of garlic, and chile powder go in, the aroma is even more tantalizing.

The butternut squash cubes soak up the flavors of this rich broth just to the perfect point of tenderness. Pinto beans, added in the last minutes of cooking, round out the stew.

We topped our bowls of Santa Fe Stew with a dab of Greek yogurt, some crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds, and bright green flavors of lime juice and cilantro. While I opted to use fresh Poblano and Anaheim chiles, I believe that canned or frozen Hatch chiles would work just as well. Maybe Rachel will give this stew a try. If so, she will find it is simple to prepare, full of bright flavors, and welcome at the table during any season.

Santa Fe Stew

Dawn Dobie

A stew that uses butternut squash, chiles, and beans simmered in a flavorful broth to bring “three cousins” of Santa Fe flavor to the table.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons salt divided--see below
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 4-5 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 medium-sized Anaheim chiles chopped
• 2 medium-sized Poblano chiles chopped
• 2 tablespoons chile powder
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 medium 2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 5 cups)
• 4-5 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 cups cooked pinto beans--or 2 15-ounce. cans, rinsed and drained

Optional toppings:

• Sour cream or plain yogurt
• Lightly toasted pepitas
• Minced fresh cilantro and/or parsley
• Fresh lime wedges

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions, 1 teaspoon of the salt, cumin, and cinnamon. Cook until the onion is softened, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Raise the heat under the skillet to medium high and add the chiles. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the chile powder and cook an additional minute. Reduce the heat back to medium-low, cover the skillet, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the warm water (I heated mine in the microwave for 2 minutes), cover and cook another 15 minutes.
• Stir in the squash, the remaining teaspoon of salt, and the lime juice. Adjust the the heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook for 15 minutes more You want the squash to be just tender, but not mushy.
• Gently stir in the beans, cover, and cook for only about 5 more minutes. Taste to see if more lime juice is needed.
• Serve hot, offering the toppings of sour cream (or yogurt), toasted pepitas, and minced cilantro or parley, if desired.

Notes

Based on Mollie Katzen's recipe from Vegetable Heaven.

Chili powder can be used in place of the chile powder.

Great served with corn or flour tortillas.  Or cornbread!