Cannellini Bean Stew

 

My new favorite bean is cannellini.  I must admit that i’ve never cooked cannellini beans before this week.  I’ve only experienced them in the can or mixed in some type of entrée while dinning out.  While picking up a few items at the grocery store, i came across an end cap with lots of wonderful looking beans.  I was actually looking for garbonzo beans to cook and came across the cannellini.  I figured, why not? And threw them into my shopping cart.

Once i got them home, i wasn’t quite sure how i wanted to prepare them.  Then i thought to just cook them and can them so i could us them on salads and maybe make a few veggie burgers.  However once  i started to cook them i figured why not make a delicious stew instead?  So, here is the recipe that my family loved.  They turned out so good that i didn’t have any pictures to share BEFORE they were nearly devoured.  Enjoy 😉

Ingredients

12 oz package uncooked cannellini beans

water

1 onion, chopped

1 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP freshly grated ginger

5 stalks celery, including leaves

3 medium carrots, thickly sliced

about 5-8 fresh whole tomatoes, pureed

coarse sea salt

garnish with chopped green onions

Directions

Add beans and just enough water to barely cover them to a dutch oven.  Turn heat on medium high and cook beans until about half done.  Be sure to stir beans every 10 minutes to prevent beans from sticking and burning.  Once beans are partially cooked, remove from heat, drain water and set aside.

Next, puree whole tomatoes in blender and set aside.  In same dutch oven beans were cooked in, add olive oil and turn heat on medium.  Once heated, add chopped onions and stir until onions are translucent.  Add ginger and celery and stir until celery is slightly softened.  Next, add tomato puree and turn heat to low.  Add beans back into pot and stir to be sure beans are well covered in puree. Add carrots and cover pot with lid.

At this point, more water may need to be added.  Remember not to add too much so the mixture will not be too runny.  Cook on low heat and check every 15 to 20 minutes, remembering to stir the beans each time.

Beans are done when they are soft through the middle.  Add course sea salt to taste and serve.  Garnish with green onions and enjoy.  This dish can be eaten alone, over quinoa, salad and is great hot or cold.

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