Chili-Chicken Stew with Black Beans and Rice

Pink Parsley’s Red Chile Chicken with Black Beans and Rice, which has been on my to-make list for almost forever, but I was procrastinating making dinner because I didn’t feel like making multiple components to a meal. Plus, I wanted soup. Big, hearty, spicy soup. So I took the four ingredients in the name of that recipe (chile, chicken, black beans, and rice), and morphed them into a soup in my head. And once I got the idea of a spicy, tomatoey chicken soup, I couldn’t shake it, so I went down to the kitchen and made the soup I was imagining. And it turned out really good, for very, very minimal effort. So I wrote down the recipe, and here it is. Make it when you’re feeling under the weather or lazy or bland or too tired to make anything else, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be pleased with the results.

Chili-Chicken Stew with Black Beans and Rice

A Katie at the Kitchen Door original.  Serves 4.

• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 TBS minced garlic
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tsp sauce from canned chipotles in adobo
• 1 TBS harissa (or chili-powder, adjust amount to spiciness of your favorite brand of chili powder)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 c. rice
• 3 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 c. frozen corn
• fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and jack cheese for garnish (optional)

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-heat, and add onion once oil is hot.  Sautee onion for 3-4 minutes, until translucent, then add garlic, and sautee for another minute.  Add chicken pieces, chipotle sauce, harissa, and oregano, and brown chicken on all sides, which should take about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add tomatoes, beans, rice, stock, water, and bay leaf to pot.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer on low, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.  Check pot occasionally during this time, and add water if necessary to keep rice covered.  After 30 minutes, check chicken and rice for doneness, then add frozen corn and cook for another 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, and serve hot, garnished with cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, and jack cheese.