Shortcut Brunswick stew is hearty and healthy

Brunswick stew is a hearty tomato-based stew that includes pork, vegetables and traditionally small game such as squirrel or rabbit. Brunswick, Georgia, and Brunswick County, Virginia, both lay claim to being the originator of the first Brunswick stew. Despite the ongoing turf battle, this dish is an old-fashioned catch-all and is often served at barbecue joints to use up the leftover bits of vegetables, pulled pork and chicken. A true test of a good Brunswick stew is to gauge its thickness; a good Brunswick stew should be thick enough to allow a spoon to stand up straight!

When I was young, my family would prepare a whole hog barbecue during the summer and my grandmother would make Brunswick stew over a fire in a cast-iron cauldron in the yard. She’d start early in the morning and the stew would simmer all day. This recipe is a quick weeknight version that can be ready in less than half an hour. It yields nearly a gallon, perfect to enjoy for a few days and to store some in the freezer for later.

Weeknight Chicken Brunswick Stew

I use poblano for more heat and depth of flavor, but you can also use a green bell pepper. Smoked paprika and unsweetened barbecue sauce bring the smoky barbecue flavor without the fattiness of pork shoulder.

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 poblano or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
• 8 small red potatoes, skin-on and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 4 cups reduced-fat low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 1/4 cups (1 15-ounce bag) frozen butter beans
• 1 3/4 cups (1 10-ounce bag) frozen corn
• 1/4 cup unsweetened barbecue sauce, such as Primal Kitchen brand
• 3 cups shredded chicken from 1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed and discarded

1. Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Add the onion and poblano pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and smoked paprika. Cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the potatoes, stock, tomatoes, butter beans, corn and barbecue sauce. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the butter beans and potatoes are just tender, about 30 minutes. Add the shredded chicken. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired. Ladle into warmed serving bowls and serve immediately.

Serves 8.