Chipotle, Corn, and Black Bean Stew

Here’s a modified version of VwaV’s Chipotle, Corn, and Black Bean Stew. We didn’t have potatoes (well, the ones we did were starting a potato farm in the bag) so I subbed some pasta. The shape of the pasta (chiocciole, also called lumache) turned out to be great – beans, corn, and some tomatoes would get stuck inside creating a fun little burst of veggie filled pasta.

I also added a bunch of baby spinach at the end to wilt into the soup once mixed. I think that this not only preserves the nutrients in the spinach since you’re not cooking them directly, but it also looks pretty for serving. We almost always have a package of baby spinach sitting in the fridge, so we throw it into a lot of the things we make.

It’s almost as if we make soups and stews as an excuse to have Jessica’s Brick Oven sourdough round. We discovered this bread at our local food co-op one day, and it’s quickly become our favorite. I’m not exactly sure where else Jessica’s breads are sold, but if you see them, do bring home a loaf. You won’t be disappointed!

I think I’m going to make a sourdough starter and see if I can convert the No Knead Bread recipe to use a sponge instead of commercial rapid rise yeast. As good as Jessica’s is, I’d love to be able to make a loaf of sourdough at home with the ease of the No Knead recipe.