Garlicky kale and white bean stew

This stew is a perfect example of the humble food I often eat. If you are someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to mess about in the kitchen, this is the stew for you!

Credit: Sarah Britton

• serves

  3-4

• prep

  2 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coconut oil or ghee
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• sea salt
• pinch chilli flakes
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• cracked black pepper
• 2-2 ½ cups cooked white beans (haricot, butter and/or cannelini)
• 2 cups packed shredded kale leaves
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can (400 g) organic whole tomatoes
• cold-pressed olive oil to garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in a large stockpot on medium heat. Add onions to the pot with a couple pinches sea salt, chilli, bay leaves and paprika. Cook for a few minutes until the onions have softened, then add garlic. If it looks dry, add a little juice from the tinned tomatoes.

Add all other ingredients, bring to a boil, season to taste, and serve in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil (since everything is cooked, you don’t need to heat it long). If you are going to let it simmer for a while, add the kale about 5 minutes before serving so that it retains more of its nutritional value.

Note

• I am always trying to get more kale into my diet. Why? Because it packs more nutritional punch per calorie than almost any other food on the planet. Seriously. It is chock-full of vitamin K, an essential vitamin for preventing bone fractures, postmenopausal bone loss, calcification of your arteries, and has even been shown to protect against liver and prostate cancer.

• Kale is the richest source of carotenoids in the leafy-green vegetable family, making it a top cancer-fighter. Kale helps to regulate oestrogen, protects against heart disease, and regulates blood pressure. The calcium in kale is more absorbable by the body than milk (and ounce for ounce, contains more calcium than milk)! This makes it an excellent choice for both prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, arthritis and bone loss.

Recipe from My New Roots by Sarah Britton, with photographs by Sarah Britton.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.