An easy one-pot bean stew with provincial flavours that will transport you to Italy from Donna Klein's Vegan Italiano.
(I've used the "simple stew strap too much - but it's winter which means it's stew and soup season!)
What's in it?
11/2 cups Dried Cannellini Beans, soaked overnight, covered and drained (or two tins of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed)
41/2 cups of Water
1 tin chopped tomatoes
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves of Garlic, peeled, left whole and crushed
3 fresh Sage Leaves
1 sprig Fresh Rosemary
1 large Bay Leaf
Coarse Salt
Ground Black Pepper
6 small heads Radicchio (or Chicory), halved
Kitchen kit you'll need
One medium or large stockpot
Can opener
Colander
Medium chopping board
Chef's knife
Wooden spoon
Measuring spoon
How to make it
Combine beans, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, water, garlic, sage, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper in the stockpot and bring to a boil over a high heat.
Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the beans are tender - depending on your beans, the thickness of your pan, and hob type this will take an hour to an two hours. The stew should have the consistency of baked beans when ready.
Remove the rosemary, sage, and bay leaf.
Preheat the oven or grill to a broil.
Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Brush the radicchio evenly on all sides with the remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Broil the radicchio until lightly browned - about 4 - 5 minutes - on each side.
Place the radicchio on a plate or pasta bowl and top with stew.
The Book
I found this book at a jumble sale, and I'm glad I did. Donna also wrote The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen. The book is full of classic Italian cuisine without the meat or dairy. None of the recipes use meat substitutes or plant-based milks - it's just honest food, celebrating fresh ingredients rather than falling back on processed ingredients. This is beyond helpful in an age when we rely increasingly on substitutes and soy which isn't the best given health concerns. This book has really helped expand my Italian meal choices beyond pesto pasta, and spag bol made with a mince alternative. Vegetables are the star of the show, and the recipes are full of rich, authentic, flavour.
The recipes are simple and easy to follow, set out with the ingredients and prep notes in bold, followed by short, simple narrative cooking instructions. Each recipe also has nutritional values for suggested serving sizes. There are no pictures, but the book doesn't suffer for that.
You'll find sections on soups, salads, pastas, vegetable dishes, pizzas, rice, and desserts. You can jump easily to a section if you know the meal type you want, or take my favourite chaotic approach and flick through and stop on a random page for dinner inspiration.
The ingredients are simple and easy to find in most supermarkets - no need to head to the middle class shop. Dried herbs can swap in for fresh if you can't find them or are looking to save money by relying on what's in the store cupboard - although fresh is always best for flavour.
I've cooked from this book a few times, and enjoy its simplicity and the ease of cooking the meals. Absolutely would recommend this book to anyone looking for meals that avoid substitutions and seeking to grow repertoire beyond the basic anglicised versions of Italian food we fall back on.
Rating:
How it turned out
Tasty and bursting with Mediterranean flavour!
This was surprisingly simple - basically chuck everything in the pot, crack on with some work, and grill the chicory once the stew is ready. I've had a busy week, and it was very helpful having a meal that didn't need lots of prep or attention to cook. Allow time as even tinned beans need a while to soften enough. I left the herbs in the pot after the first serving to allow the flours to develop for longer.
Tesco usually has radicchio, but was out of stock when I shopped, so I switched it out for chicory. It was a cheap meal, costing less than £2 a portion - using fresh herbs increases costs, and as always plan your meals for the week to ensure you get the most use out of fresh herbs and avoid food waste.
This made enough for four large servings, or six portions with sides. I had leftovers of the beans for breakfast on a toasted baguette, which was a great alternative to basic beans on toast. You can also serve the stew as an accompaniment to grilled tofu or chicken with green beans, or as tapas with some good quality bread. It's an adaptable dish that stands alone, or works great as a side.
Nutritional Values
Based on 6 servings with no alterations
Calories | 293 |
Total Fat | 10g |
Saturated | 1g |
Trans | 0g |
Polyunsaturated | 1g |
Monounsaturated | 6.6g |
Cholesterol | 0 mg |
Sodium | 177mg |
Total Carbohydrates | 40g |
Dietary Fibre | 9g |
Sugar | 0.7g |
Protein | 14g |
Calcium | 1.4% |
Iron | 1.5g |
Potassium | 11.3mg |
Vitamin A | 0.7% |
Vitamin C | 0.3% |
Vitamin D | 0% |
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