cuban chorizo stew $8.82 recipe / $1.10 serving

cuban chorizo stew

$8.82 recipe / $1.10 serving

I came across this post on the Parsley Thief a couple of weeks ago and was very inspired by the combination of coconut milk and black beans (two of my favorite ingredients!). So, I had to give it a try. I had some extra chorizo in my freezer from when I made the chorizo and sweet potato enchiladas so I decided to use that along with a couple other things to turn the recipe into a stew. It turned out FANTASTIC! I also cooked some jasmine rice to serve along with it. Basmati would also be great.

The flavor combination of the stew is perfect. Hot spices mellowed out by the creamy coconut milk and a little acidity from the tomatoes to cut through the coconut cream. A little fresh cilantro to liven it up and everything is in perfect balance!

If you're a vegetarian or are not crazy about all of the fat in chorizo, this stew would still be stunningly delicious without the chorizo. Or, you can try some vegetarian chorizo (sold with other refrigerated meat substitutes, usually in the produce section) which is much lower in fat and calories.

The night before I made this recipe, I whipped up a batch of black beans in my slow cooker. If you haven't tried this method for cooking beans yet, YOU MUST. It's so easy and saves so much money. All you have to do is put in the dry beans and water, turn it on high and let it do it's thing for four hours. Then, I ladle the beans and liquid into three containers (2 cups each, roughly equal to one can each) and refrigerate or freeze them until use. It only takes ten minutes of total effort. Seriously, try it. Here is my post with more detailed directions.





Total Recipe cost: $8.82
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Cost per serving: $1.10
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 30 min. Total: 45 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.22
1/2 lb. (4 med.)	carrots	$0.49
1 med	onion	$0.58
2 cloves	garlic	$0.14
2	chipotle peppers w/adobo sauce	$0.20
1/2 lb. (2 links)	chorizo	$1.87
4 cups (2 cans)	black beans	$0.94
1 (14 oz) can	diced tomatoes	$1.29
1 (13 oz) can	coconut milk	$1.73
2 whole	bay leaves	$0.10
1/2 Tbsp	cumin	$0.10
1/3 bunch	cilantro	$0.23
2 cups	jasmine or basmati rice	$0.88
3 cups	water	$0.00
to taste	salt and pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$8.82

STEP 1: Peel and slice the carrots, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add them all to the pot with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and cook over medium heat. Take one to two chipotle peppers along with some of the sauce from the can, roughly chop and add to the pot. Continue to cook everything until the onions have softened and become transparent (about 5 minutes total). Left over chipotle peppers and sauce can be frozen.

STEP 2: Remove the chorizo from it's casing and add to the pot. As the chorizo cooks, break it up into small pieces. Continue to cook until the chorizo has cooked through (about 5 minutes).

STEP 3: Once the chorizo is fully cooked, add the black beans, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, bay leaves and cumin. Stir everything together and let simmer over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching on the bottom.

STEP 4: While the stew is simmering, prepare the rice. Add 2 cups of rice and 3 cups of water to a medium pot. Place a lid on top and turn the heat onto high. As soon as the pot comes to a rapid boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let simmer for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, turn the heat off and allow the pot to sit (with the lid in place) for at least 15 minutes or until you are ready to eat. Do not remove the lid at any time during the process.

Step 5: After the stew has simmered for 30 minutes, the liquid should have reduced and taken on a nice dark brown color. Roughly chop about 1/3 bunch of cilantro and add to the stew. Taste the stew and adjust the salt to your liking. Serve the stew with a large scoop of rice on top.

Step By Step Photos

Peel and slice the carrots. Start cooking them in olive oil before you chop the onions.


Dice the onion and add to the pot along with some minced garlic. I had some jarred minced garlic that I'm trying to use up so that's what I used. You could use fresh as well.


Use 1-2 chipotle peppers and a small spoonful of the adobo sauce from the can. Give the peppers a good chop before adding them to the pot. The leftover peppers and sauce can be poured into a ziplock bag and frozen. I actually used frozen today (this is an old pic).


Continue to cook the carrots, onion, garlic and chipotles until the onions have softened and turned transparent.


Remove the chorizo from it's casing and add to the pot. I was using frozen so I gave it a quick chop before adding to the pot to help it thaw/cook faster.


Continue to stir and cook until the chorizo is cooked through (it should be a brownish color instead of red).


Next add your black beans. I had cooked these in the slow cooker the night before. If you're using canned, use two cans drained.


Also add the diced tomatoes (with juices) and coconut milk.


Season the pot with two bay leaves and about 1/2 Tbsp of cumin. Stir everything well and then let the pot come up to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.


While the stew simmers, cook the rice. Combine 2 cups of rice with 3 cups of water in a medium pot. Place the lid on top and turn the heat on to high. As soon as it reaches a rapid boil, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and simmer for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit with the lid still in place for at least 15 minutes.


After that, you'll have perfect rice. Give it a quick fluff with a fork and place the lid on top to keep it warm until you're ready to eat.


After the stew has simmered for 30 minutes, roughly chop some cilantro and stir it into the stew. You can save some chopped parsley for garnish if desired.


Now it's ready to eat!!


Serve the stew with a scoop of rice on top.


Yum! Creamy, spicy goodness!