Chorizo, Sweet Potato, and Kale Stew is so fragrant, so aromatic, so heady, that you’ll swoon before you even taste it. Ron typically doesn’t like sweet potatoes, but they work for him in this stew. The sweet potatoes provide soft bits of sweetness that offset the spicy heat of the chipotle powder and the sweet heat of the smoked paprika, all of which enhances the earthiness of the chorizo and the kale. I recommend serving this stew with Southern Cornbread or corn chips and guacamole.
You may have noticed that I rarely list the number of servings you can expect from my recipes. I’m stymied by this measurement, because a serving to me and a serving to Ron are different. I can tell you that there are only two of us, and this pot of Chorizo, Sweet Potato, and Kale Stew doesn’t last long. We typically have it for supper the first night. I may have it for breakfast the next morning. It’s a perfect snack for Ron when he gets home from a mountain bike ride, ravenous. Then it’s gone.
Chorizo, Sweet Potato, and Kale Stew
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale (about 10-12 stems)
- 1 large onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 pound sweet potatoes
- 1 pound Spanish Chorizo
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 t smoked paprika
- 1 t chipotle powder
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 T balsamic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can black beans
Instructions
- Prep the veg and chop the chorizo – Destem, wash, and spin-dry the kale, then chop it into bite-sized pieces. Finely dice the onion and garlic. Chop the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch dice. Slice the chorizo from top to bottom, and then slice each half again. Chop across the slices so that you you pieces just a tiny bit larger than the diced sweet potatoes.
- Render the chorizo – Add the olive oil and the chorizo to your stew pot, and slowly cook the chorizo on medium low heat until it has rendered most of its fat and the outer casing begins to curl. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics – Add the onions and the garlic to the chorizo-infused oil. Turn the heat to medium, and cook until the aromatics are very soft. Stir in the smoked paprika and the chipotle powder.
- Simmer the stew – Add the broth, bay leaf, tomatoes, balsamic, and sweet potatoes to the pot. Bring the pot to nearly a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are beginning to soften, about 20 minutes. Taste the broth, and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add the kale and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes.
- Add the beans and chorizo – When the stew is melded and the veg are soft, stir in the beans and the reserved chorizo.
COOKING NOTES: If some people in your life can’t eat beans, just reserve the beans and add them to the bowls of the people who can. The beans add wonderful body and creaminess. Also, I call for fresh kale in this recipe, but frozen would be fine too. I’ve made Chorizo, Sweet Potato, and Kale Stew with frozen kale. I like the big bags of Wellsley Farms Organic Spinach Kale Blend from BJs (except that you have to sort through and pick out the kale stems…). Other than reserving the beans as necessary, and subbing whatever hearty greens you have for the fresh kale, I wouldn’t change a thing!