Spicy White Bean Stew with Roasted Red Peppers
From the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart
| Serves | 6 |
Introduction
Small white beans, such as Great Northern or navy, are cheap, filling, and possess a richness of flavor that only gets better when augmented with herbs, vegetables, or meats. This meatless version serves as the bed for the turkey breast in this menu. Notice that the beans are not soaked. We have become convinced that soaking shortens the cooking time only a little, but results in more split beans.
Ingredients
| 1 | lb. small dried white beans, such as Great Northern or navy | |
| 2 | large onions (10 to 12 ounces each) | |
| 3 | medium carrots (about 12 ounces total) | |
| 1 | rib celery | |
| ¼ | cup olive oil | |
| 6 | garlic cloves | |
| 2 | serrano chilies or 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and thinly sliced | |
| 3½ | cups Chicken Stock, or 2 cans (14½ or 16 ounces each) low-salt chicken broth | |
| 1 | (14½ oz.) can crushed tomatoes in juice | |
| 2 | Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary | |
| 1 | red bell pepper (6 to 8 ounces), roasted, seeded, and cut into medium dice (see Roast Duck Soft Tacos) | |
| ~ | Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste | |
| ½ | cup minced fresh parsley |
Steps
- Pick over the beans, discarding any rocks or shriveled beans, and rinse in a colander. Chop half of 1 onion, half of 1 carrot, and all the celery. In a 4-quart or larger saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped vegetables until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, garlic, chilies, stock or broth, tomatoes and juice, and rosemary. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cover. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Cut the remaining onions into 1-inch wedges. Cut the remaining carrots into ½-inch rounds. Add the onions and carrots to the pot. Cook until the beans are tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes.
- Add the bell pepper to the beans. Add salt and pepper. Ladle 1 to 1½ cups stew into each of 4 wide soup plates or bowls and top each portion with a little parsley. Cover and refrigerate the remaining stew for up to 7 days.
Notes
- Serves 4, with 5 or 6 cups reserved for Bean Soup with Bacon and Oregano
This content is from the book Cooking for the Week by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.
Copyright 2006 Culinate, Inc.