Spicy Peanut Stew is perfect for a lucky New Year meal, or anytime during the cold winter months.

You’ll need a slow cooker with at least a 6-quart capacity for this recipe.

Scale

1 large onion, chopped

2 yams, chopped

2 small zucchini, chopped

4 – 6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can black beans, drained

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 cup dry rice

4 – 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth

12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) medium salsa

2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves

2 teaspoons ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup peanut butter

Grab your slow cooker and spray the crock with nonstick spray.
Put all the ingredients (except the peanut butter) into the slow cooker. Stir if it makes you feel better (I usually just pile it all in and leave).
Cook on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4 hours.
At the end of the cook time, stir in the peanut butter. It will look something like this:
Serve alone or with toppings and sides (suggestions below).

Yams can be replaced with any kind of potatoes, carrots, winter squash, or any other slightly starchy vegetable.
Zucchinis can be replaced with broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper, eggplant, or any other vegetable you like.
Rice substitutes that I like: Quinoa, pearl barley, and farro. Due to the long cooking time, this is a great recipe for trying new grains.
Black and garbanzo beans: Any canned or cooked beans you have will work. Do not use dry beans.
Peanut butter: Any crunchy or creamy nut butter will work, as will tahini (made from sesame seeds) or sunbutter.