Chile substitutes: Ancho chiles are dried poblanos, and are mild, and sweetly smoky. You can also use hotter chipotle morita, or pasilla chiles, which are mildly fruity.
Beans:
- 2 lbs white beans (e.g. cannellini, Great Northern, black-eyed peas, gigante)
- 8 fresh bay leaves
- 2 whole heads garlic, tops sliced off
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- Water to cover beans by 2 inches
- 3 ancho chiles
Squash (and optional chicken):
- 10 oregano stalks with leaves
- 6 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 lbs deboned, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 lbs orange squash, de-seeded, in slices or chunks (skin can stay on)
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Vegetables and aromatics:
- 3 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 lb yellow onion (about 1 very large onion), chopped finely
- 1 lb celery, chopped finely
- 1 large bunch cilantro, stems chopped finely (reserve leaves)
- 1 large bunch Italian parsley, stems and leaves chopped very finely
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (or substitute black)
- 1 can peeled tomatoes
- 6 fresh bay leaves
- 3 Tablespoons Better than Bouillion Vegetable paste (or vegetable broth or chicken broth instead of water)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Water to cover (approximaetly 8 to 10 cups)
Beans: In a large bowl cover the dry beans with water, add the bay leaves and soak for at least 24 hours.
In a very large pot, combine the soaked, drained beans with the heads of garlic, the same bay leaves and the ancho chiles. Cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat at once to a steady, bubbling simmer and cook until tender (about 20 minutes for small beans, about 40 minutes for large). Turn off the heat. Lift out the now-soft ancho chiles, remove and discard their seeds, and chop them. Return them to the beans. Squeeze the garlic from its skins and return the soft garlic to the pot.
Squash and chicken: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil two baking sheets and scatter the oregano stems across them. Lay slices of squash on one, and the chicken on the other, if using. Pour orange juice over both, and season with salt. Slide the trays into the oven and roast for 45 minutes until the squash is tender and the chicken cooked-through. Remove, cool, and cut both into bite-sized pieces.
Vegetables and aromatics: Warm the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, cilantro stems, all the parsley, the cumin and the white pepper and stir well. Cover, and sweat-cook for about 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add the cooked beans and their cooking liquid, the canned tomatoes, the bay leaves and the bouillon paste, if using. If the bean-liquid does not cover everything by an inch, add water (or broth if you are not using the bouillon paste). Bring to a boil and then cook for 45 minutes at a steady simmer. Taste, and add slat, if necessary. Now add the chicken and the lemon juice, and cook another 45 minutes, uncovered. Finally, add the squash, just to heat through. Taste, and add more salt if necessary.
Serve in bowls with the reserved cilantro  on the side.
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