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- Makes 11 cups
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This scrumptious Caribbean sweet potato stew brings the heat, with a poblano chile sliced up in the brothy base and a Fresno chile creating a kick of spice in the garnish. If you aren’t a fan of spicy food you’re welcome to omit them, but we love how the heat pairs with cubes of creamy sweet potato, earthy carrots, and starchy black beans. A blend of curry powder, allspice, and fresh ginger punch up the flavor profile even more and a toasted coconut topping calls in tropical vibes. The green sauce spooned over each serving adds zesty freshness that will leave you licking the bowl, so be sure to save leftover sauce to stir into grain side dishes, use as a dip, or spoon over roasted veggies. Serve over a bed of brown rice to make this warming stew extra hearty and filling.
For more hearty vegan stews, check out these tasty ideas:
- Curried Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Stew
- Best-Ever Beefless Stew
- Hearty Vegan Red Bean Chili
- Or take a look at our full collection of winter soups and stews
By Shelli McConnell,
Ingredients
- 1½ cup chopped onion
- 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
- 1 fresh poblano chile, seeded and chopped (1 cup)
- ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
- 1 14.5-oz. can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups packed fresh cilantro
- 1 cup packed fresh parsley
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 fresh fresno chile, seeded and very finely chopped
- 2 cups hot cooked brown rice
- 2 tablespoons toasted coconut (optional)
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven cook 1 cup onion, the carrots, poblano chile, bell pepper, and ½ cup celery over medium for 5 minutes or until carrots are softened and other vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Add curry powder, 1 teaspoon ginger, and allspice; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in sweet potatoes, broth, beans, and undrained tomatoes. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Season with salt and black pepper.
- For Caribbean Green Sauce, in a blender or food processor combine cilantro, parsley, the remaining ½ cup onion and ½ cup celery, scallions, garlic, and remaining 1 teaspoon ginger. Cover and blend, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until almost smooth. Stir in fresno chile (if desired). Sauce can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
- Stir ⅓ cup of the Caribbean Green Sauce into hot cooked rice. Serve stew in bowls over rice. If desired, top with additional green sauce and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Serve with lime wedges.
Comments (14)
(5 from 7 votes)Leisa, Adding bottled habanero sauce seems like a good idea. I topped mine with Tabasco and that helped to add more flavor
This recipe was just ok. Perhaps more curry powder is needed or a specific combo of spices in the “curry powder”. The green sauce also was underwhelming. Maybe needs more garlic, a whole onion and a hotter pepper. It’s also missing thyme which seems to be part of most green sauce recipes. We actually preferred the stew without the green sauce added. It needs something though….
Absolutely delicious. I didn't have the hot peppers on hand & made it without. My husband & daughter loved it as it was. I added bottled mango habanero sauce & red pepper flakes to mine. :) My husband said, "I wouldn't mind if you made this every week!". It was also simple & fun to make.
Sorry bout the & doing weird things. No way to edit I see. Next time I'll type and. lol
Hi Debra. We did and it heats up very well. My husband and I experienced different microwave times, but no more than 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The containers were still frozen. We portioned about 1 cup of carribean stew with 1/2 cup of the brown rice and green sauce together in freezer/microwave containers. Sprinkled some cumin on top and put in the freezer. Packed some berries on the side, and was perfect for a filling work lunch. Plan to make a batch again this weekend, but will increase the portions though!!
i made this stew today just love it wanted to know if you can freeze left overs for a month to eat later
Hi Debra. We did and it heats up very well. My husband and I experienced different microwave times, but no more than 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The containers were still frozen. We portioned about 1 cup of carribean stew with 1/2 cup of the brown rice and green sauce together in freezer/microwave containers. Sprinkled some cumin on top and put in the freezer. Packed some berries on the side, and was perfect for a filling work lunch. Plan to make a batch again this weekend, but will increase the portions though!!
Both my husband and I love it!! Definitely recommend
This meal (pleasantly) surprised me! I omitted all peppers except for the red bell, and it still had a ton of delicious flavors. I agree the Caribbean Green Sauce made the dish pop as did the roasted coconut and freshly squeezed lime as toppers that I wouldn’t omit.
I'm not a fan of cilantro or parsley. could Kale be substituted for those?
Hi Terri, The kale would deliver the desired green color but it wouldn't have the same flavor as the cilantro and parsley combo, and may even run the risk of giving the rice an earthy or vegetal taste. You could just omit the parsley and cilantro and add a few more scallions and a handful of baby spinach, which is softer and milder than kale. Let us know how it goes!
Delicious! I loved the Caribbean Green Sauce mixed with the rice. I didn't have a Poblano or Fresno pepper, so I did substitute a little Jalapeno for some kick. Overall, the dish was very flavorful and filling.
Can you replace the rice with farro or riced cauliflower? If so what would be the recommended amount?
Hi Kerri, You definitely can replace the rice with any other whole grain of your choice. Use the same amount of grain to Green Sauce ratio (2 cups grains to 1/3 cup sauce). Riced cauliflower may not absorb the sauce quite as well, but it would probably still be tasty! Let us know how it goes.