Tuscan Bean Stew Recipes

TUSCAN BEAN STEW WITH GARLIC & OREGANO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a deep lidded frying pan or casserole.
• Finely chop the onion and leek and cook gently for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
• Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the carrot, trim and chop the celery, and peel and crush the garlic cloves. Add to the pan and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Trim and slice the red pepper and add to the pan. Season well with salt and black pepper.
• Drain and rinse the borlotti beans and cannellini beans, and tip both into the pan.
• Add the passata and water (you can just refill the empty passata carton half way with water, to save measuring this separately). Then add the stock powder, oregano, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil then cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and is thick and glossy.
• Remove any thick stalks from the spinach or kale, then stir through the stew for the last two minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning if required. Serve with steamed green vegetables or a crisp side salad and sourdough bread.
• Follow instructions 1-4 above, then tip the softened vegetables into your slow-cooker.
• Drain and rinse the tinned beans and add to the slow-cooker, followed by the passata, water, stock powder, oregano, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar.
• Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours, adding the spinach or kale as above for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

TUSCAN BEAN STEW

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan then add the garlic, carrots, celery and leeks and cook until softened. Add the stock, tomato purée and barley. Bring to a simmer then cook for 15-20 minutes until barley is just tender. Add the beans and greens and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

HEARTY TUSCAN BEAN STEW

Steps:

• Add the olive oil to a large, heavy pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one more minute. Stir in the thyme, salt, and black pepper. Add the beans, broth, rosemary, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer until the stew is thickened, 20-25 minutes.
• Add the kale and cook until wilted, 3-4 minutes.
• Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
• Serve as-is or over polenta, brown rice, or quinoa. Drizzle individual servings with a little olive oil, if desired.

HEARTY TUSCAN BEAN STEW

Steps:

• 1. 1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well. 2. 2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil and pancetta in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is lightly browned and fat has rendered, 6 to 10 minutes. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, water, bay leaves, and soaked beans. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour. 3. 3. Remove pot from oven and stir in greens and tomatoes. Cover pot, return to oven, and continue to cook until beans and greens are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer. 4. 4. Remove pot from oven and submerge rosemary sprig in stew. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and rosemary sprig and season stew with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken stew. Serve over toasted bread, if desired, and drizzle with olive oil. RECIPE TESTING SIMMER DOWN The bubbling action of stew simmered on the stovetop caused our beans to fall apart. Cooking the beans at a near-simmer in a covered pot in a 250-degree oven kept them intact

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN STEW

Steps:

• Saute the onions over medium-low heat in a medium sized, heavy pot that has a lid.
• Slice the carrots into 1/8″ coins and add to pot.
• Cut potato into 1/4″ dice and add to pot, stirring occasionally. Add water and loosen any stuff that has stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add salt, oregano, tomato paste and stir. Cover and turn head down to a low boil.
• Slice and kale, drain and rinse the beans. Add beans to pot and stir. The stew should be quite thick. Add kale and lemon juice. Taste and season if necessary. Simmer for a few minutes until kale is tender.
• Carrots should be tender, and the potato should be soft but still hold its shape. Serve and garnish with fresh herbs, shown here with thyme.