Make Zuni Stew

Zuni Stew is tasty, nutritious and appropriate all year long.

While originally considered a summer stew, the availability of most vegetables year-round makes Zuni stew a treat at any time. The vegetarian community became aware of the hearty dish due to its inclusion in various Pueblo cookbooks, and it is now a staple as a main course in vegetarian cooking. Greens, the venerated San Francisco Buddhist restaurant, incorporated the dish into their menu and also in their cookbook. The stew is ideally accompanied by a side of rice or a hunk of fresh bread.

Instructions

Recipe for Six Medium Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash, pat dry then rub oil all over the ancho chilies. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the skin of the chili becomes crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

2. Chop the tomatoes and retain the juice with the tomatoes in a bowl. Remove the corn kernels from the ear by placing a sharp knife against the base of a row of kernels and pressing in and then up. Place the corn kernels in a bowl and set aside. Remove the ends from the zucchini or Mexican squash and then slice lengthwise in half and then slice again into 1/2-inch wide half-moons.

3. Remove ends from green beans and cut into 1-inch long sections. Crush garlic, removing the peel and chopping fine. Remove skin from onions and chop coarse. Cut cilantro leaves fine so that the shape remains but they are small enough to sprinkle on the stew. Set cilantro aside.

4. Put enough oil into the pot to cover the bottom. Heat on a medium setting. Add onions and garlic to pot and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and saute for two minutes. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a light boil. Add the green beans, squash and corn to the stew, stirring to mix the vegetables. Add half of the chili powder, garlic powder and salt to the stew and stir. Reduce heat to a simmer.

5. Peel the waxy outer skin off the ancho chilies, slice open, remove the seeds and stem. Dice the chilies and add to the stew. Cook the stew on low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with cilantro and sour cream.

Tags: ancho chilies, corn kernels, ends from, green beans, Remove ends, Remove ends from