Autumnal White Bean and Root Vegetable Stew
As we soon head into the dewy days of Autumn, this hearty yet beautifully nourishing stew uses store cupboard staples and long-lasting root veg that live in the often-neglected bottom drawer of the fridge, making it a perfect dish to whip up without dashing to the shops. It also freezes well so cook up a big batch and divide into smaller Tupperware that you can quickly defrost and serve in a few different ways! Some ideas are listed below the recipe – my favourite for a crowd is the sausage casserole, however if cooking for myself I simply serve it with a poached egg and chunky sourdough to scoop sweep up the sauce.
Servings: 6-8 as a main
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
3 red onions, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp mixed herbs
1kg root veg (butternut squash/beetroot/celeriac/carrots etc), peeled cut into bite-size chunks
2 tsp harissa paste
2 tsp miso paste
2x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
250ml vegetable stock
2x can white beans (butter bean, cannellini, haricot)
1 cup frozen spinach (or fresh spinach if you have it in the fridge)
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole dish over medium-heat and sauté the onions for 5-10 minutes until starting to soften.
Add the garlic, paprika and mixed herbs and cook for another 2 minutes stirring consistently, then add the root vegetables and cook for another 10 minutes.
Next add the harissa paste, miso paste, chopped tomatoes, and vegetable stock and cook over high heat for 10 minutes then add the beans, salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat and cook for 30 minutes until the root vegetables are tender and the sauce thickened. Add more water during cooking time if need be to loosen.
Finally stir through the frozen (or fresh) spinach and taste for salt and pepper.
Serving ideas
1. Veggie Stew with Chunky Sourdough and a Fried egg
A great option if cooking for one with an extra protein hit!
2. Sausage Casserole topped with Breadcrumbs and Parsley
Cook the sausages, cut into chunks and add to the stew. Then pour the stew into a large casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs and parsley and bake at 180C uncovered for 20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden.
3. Chicken Stew with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Greens
Fry off some diced chicken in a little oil and stir it through the stew. Serve with mashed potatoes and sautéed greens.