Soaking up some southern comfort
Nothing beats a warm soupy stew on a cold night, the addition of cornbread to soak up the flavours gives this dish extra depth.
Dried beans and legumes are an underutilised and economical pantry staple. We always have a stash in the pantry for my husband’s infamous refried beans – eaten every Sunday night without fail. Today, I share a simple bean stew served with buttery polenta cornbread. This stew is a layering of flavours that meld together to create one delicious pot of beans.
Don’t be deterred by the long ingredient list, as it takes little time to prepare and then quietly cooks away during the day.
This is more of a soupy stew, best served with cornbread to soak up the sauce.
Slow-cooked bean stew
Preparation time: 20 minutes + overnight soaking Cooking time: 3-6 hours
Serves 4-6
1 1⁄2 cups (300g) dried white beans – haricot, cannellini or pinto
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic bulb, cloves separated and left whole
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 strips of orange zest
1 bay leaf sprig of thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup tomato passata
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped half a celeriac or swede (about 400g), peeled and roughly chopped
Generous grind of cracked pepper
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Sour cream and chopped parsley to serve.
You need to plan ahead to soak the beans overnight. I do this when I am preparing dinner the night before. I then rinse the beans the following morning and cover again with fresh water, until I am ready to prepare the stew. Dried legumes need a little extra assistance to make them easier to digest.
Drain and rinse the beans in a colander and tip them into a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients, except the sour cream and parsley. Cover and set the cooker on ‘‘high’’ for 3-4 hours, or ‘‘low’’ for 5-6 hours, until the beans are tender. If preferred, you can add the carrots and celeriac in the last hours of cooking. Alternatively, cook the stew in a covered pot in a 160C oven for 2-3 hours.
Serve with chopped parsley, sour cream and wedges of cornbread.