Sweet Potato and Tomato Posole

I was looking for something new to do with pinto beans as it has been a while since I have used them.  I eat a lot of red lentils because they are so easy to prepare and a lot of chickpeas because I like them so much and they are so versatile.  Pinto beans, not so much.  They were ubiquitous in the parts of Texas where I grew up and until black beans arrived on the scene in the late '80s were the only beans I ever ate other than doctored up Van Camp's Pork and Beans.  (And the only reason those tasted good was because of the massive amounts of ketchup and brown sugar I added to them.)

Although I do not often cook with them, I still pretty much always have some dried pinto beans on hand and now that the weather has turned cold and soup and stew season is full upon us I decided it was time to cook some up in a nice hearty winter dish.  I had my eye on a recipe for a sweet potato and pinto bean soup that intrigued me because it called for basil, an herb with which I do not usually associate sweet potatoes and pinto beans.  So I decided to make it.

Imagine my surprise when I could not find any decent basil at any of my usual grocery stores here in Chicago in the dead of winter.  This led me to reconsider, and I decided maybe I would make that dish in the summer when there is plenty of fresh, beautiful basil on hand.

I then turned to another recipe I have been eying for a while that uses pinto beans.  The recipe actually calls for butternut squash, but I had already bought the sweet potato so I decided to go with that.

And it worked out beautifully.  I used my home-made chili powder which has no heat so I added half a teaspoon of cayenne which added the perfect amount of heat for me.  I used chicken broth since I had some in the freezer but I would normally use vegetable broth since I always have that on hand.

The relatively short cooking time leaves the flavors of each ingredient intact while at the same time bringing them all together for a bright, fresh flavor.

A batch of Skillet Cornbread provides the perfect accompaniment.  Add a green salad and you have a perfect meal.

Home Cookin Chapter: Soups and Stews
SWEET POTATO AND TOMATO POSOLE 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne, or to taste
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 15-oz can white hominy, draind and rinsed
1 lb cooked pinto beans, drained, or 1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed
diced avocado, for garnish
chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds.

Add the sweet potato, broth, hominy, beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, umtil the sweet potato is tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with avocado and cilantro.

adapted from Eating Well November/December 2012 http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/butternut_squash_posole.html

Exported from Home Cookin v9.73 (http://www.mountainsoftware.com/homecook.php)