Butter bean stew
This creamy butter bean stew is the perfect recipe to have in the freezer for those days between Christmas and New Year. Add any leftover roast meats you have when you reheat it, or enjoy it as it is!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 large celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, finely chopped
- 200–220²µ/7–8´Ç³ú Brussels sprouts, halved or quartered depending on size
- 150ml/¼ pint white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 500ml/18fl oz good-quality vegetable stock
- 400g tin butter beans, drained
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú green cabbage, shredded
To serve
- 250–300g/9–10½oz cooked meat, roughly chopped, diced or shredded
- 1 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú crème fraiche
- crusty bread
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the celery, shallot, garlic and rosemary. Fry gently for 4–5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the carrots and sprouts to the pan, fry for 3 minutes, then pour in the wine. Allow to simmer for 2–3 minutes until the alcohol starts to evaporate, then add the bay leaves. Pour in the vegetable stock, add the butter beans and bring the whole pan to the boil. Turn down the heat to low-medium and gently simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still holding form. When there are 5 minutes left, stir through the cabbage to quickly blanch. At this stage, the stew can be taken off the heat, cooled and placed in an airtight container. At this stage you can freeze the stew for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat the stew, remove the stew from the freezer and defrost overnight in the fridge. Place the stew into a large saucepan over a medium heat and gently bring to the boil, stirring regularly. When the stew is warmed through, add the cooked meat and cook for 10 minutes until the meat is piping hot. Add the vinegar and stir through before turning off the heat.
Finish the stew with the crème fraîche and a generous crack of black pepper. Serve alongside crusty bread for dipping.
Recipe Tips
This stew is extremely versatile and can be guided by what vegetables and meat you have available. Parsnips, kale and swede also work well – just ensure that you cut them into similar-sized chunks, so they cook at the same rate.
Adding leftover cooked meat is a great way to ensure nothing goes to waste, but this dish works equally well without it. Swap the butter for vegan butter and crème fraiche for dairy-free cream cheese, and you’ve got yourself a plant-based dish, too!