This is another wintery, warming dish! What drew me to this stew was the main ingredient of potatoes. As I’ve often said, I am a big fan of most anything potato.

The second thing that attracted me to the recipe was gochujang, a Korean red chile paste. Kelly and Gilbert are fond of Korean food and I first learned about gochujang from them. It is thick, spicy, concentrated, and pungent tasting. The glutinous rice in the paste imparts some sweetness to it. It took trips to 3 different grocery stores, but I finally found the gochujang paste so we could make this dish.

The third major ingredient in this dish is lacinato kale. Also called Tuscan or dinosaur kale, it originated in Italy. This variety of kale was given the dinosaur nickname due to the primeval appearance of its bumpy leaves. Lacinato has an earthy and nutty flavor, with a touch of sweetness, making it less bitter than other varieties of kale.

Red onion, cannellini beans, and a bit of honey and soy sauce round out this flavorful stew. The amount of gochujang can be decreased for less spiciness or increased for an even spicier stew. Adding some sour cream to servings also cuts the heat of this earthy and deep flavorful stew.

Gochujang Potato Stew

Gochujang Potato Stew (adapted from cooking.nytimes.com)  Total Time Required: 1 hour, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 40 minutes, Yield: 4 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
• salt and black pepper
• 5 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 3 tablespoons gochujang, plus more to taste
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, uniformly cut into bite sized pieces
• 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 large bunch lacinato kale, large stems removed, leaves chopped (6 packed cups)
• crusty bread or white rice, for serving
• sour cream, for serving

Directions:

Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and add the onion. Season the onion with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Sauté the onion.

Add the garlic and gochujang, and stir until heated through and fragrant, just a few seconds.

Add the garlic and gochujang to the pot.

Stir in the vegetable broth, soy sauce, honey, potatoes, and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and maintain a gentle boil. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes.

Stir in the broth, soy sauce, honey, potatoes, and beans.

Add the kale, tamping it down, and continue gently boiling the covered stew, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, and the broth is thickened to the desired amount, about 10 to 20 minutes.

Add the kale to the stew.

Taste the broth and add more salt, pepper, and gochujang as desired.

Taste the stew and adjust the seasonings, if need be.

Serve the stew alongside some crusty bread or white rice, and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Sour cream is a great addition to the stew!

This is a great new addition to our Winter Menu!  ~Linda

Gochujang Potato Stew (adapted from cooking.nytimes.com)  Total Time Required: 1 hour, Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 40 minutes, Yield: 4 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
• salt and black pepper
• 5 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 3 tablespoons gochujang, plus more to taste
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, uniformly cut into bite sized pieces
• 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 large bunch lacinato kale, large stems removed, leaves chopped (6 packed cups)
• crusty bread or white rice, for serving
• sour cream, for serving

Directions:

Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and add the onion. Season the onion with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and gochujang, and stir until heated through and fragrant, just a few seconds.

Stir in the vegetable broth, soy sauce, honey, potatoes, and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and maintain a gentle boil. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, then add the kale, tamping it down, and continue gently boiling the covered stew, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, and the broth is thickened to the desired amount, about 10 to 20 minutes. Taste the broth and add more salt, pepper, and gochujang as desired.

Serve the stew alongside some crusty bread or white rice and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.