Spiced Pork & Chickpea Stew

Soups and stews are great for an easy, worry-free dinner. All you need to do is combine the ingredients and let the pot work its magic. If you have other things to do, or don’t feel like slaving over your stove, I highly recommend making a soup or stew. Me being the spice lover that I am, I like to go buck wild when making mine. You would have to add a LOT of spices to mess up… When in doubt always give it an extra shake. It is also important to taste along the way with soups and stews as well though, just in case the flavor needs to be adjusted. I usually try to wait until the end before adding any salt.

This stew is healthy and delicious. If you were a fan of my Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup, I suggest making this one as well. Many pork stew recipes use hominy, but I opted for using chickpeas because they are packing with nutrients and are much healthier than a corn based product. If you like your stew spicier, add a bit of cayenne pepper to this recipe. This is great serves with a toasted loaf of French bread.

Spiced Pork & Chickpea Stew

Serves 4-6

• 2 tbsp chile powder
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound pork (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (roughly chopped)
• 1 green bell pepper (roughly chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 large russet potato (cubed)
• 2/3 cup corn
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used fat-free, reduced-sodium)
• 2-3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas (drained)
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 4 tbsp green onions (sliced)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Season the pork with half of the spices and saute the pieces until mostly cooked (about 3-5 minutes).
2. Add the peppers, onion and garlic to the pot and continue to saute until soft (about 3-5 minutes).
3. Add the potatoes, corn, tomato paste, broth and the rest of the spice to the pot and stir until well-combined.
4. Bring the stew to a boil then turn to low, cover and let simmer for 30-45 minutes.
5. Next, add the chickpeas and tomatoes to the stew, stir, adjust seasonings and let simmer covered for an additional 15 minutes.
6. Garnish with green onions and serve with toasted bread.

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