Tuscan White Bean Stew

Method

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1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan and cook the onions, carrots and celery over medium heat for 15 minutes, until soft and sweet. Do not rush the soffritto; it is most of the flavour.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

2. Add all the sliced garlic and cook 3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and pale gold.

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3. Stir in the tomato purée, chilli flakes and rosemary and cook 2 minutes until the purée darkens.

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4. Add the beans, stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.

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5. Cook, part-covered, for 25 minutes.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

6. Lift out a ladleful of beans with a little liquid, mash them to a paste, and stir them back in. The stew will thicken noticeably within a minute.

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7. Add the cavolo nero and simmer 10 minutes more, until tender.

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8. Fish out the bay leaves, stir in the lemon juice, and taste for salt.

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9. Serve over the garlic toast with parsley and a hard drizzle of good olive oil.

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Chef’s Tips

• Mash a ladleful. It is the difference between soup and stew and it takes thirty seconds.
• A whole head of garlic. Long simmering takes all the aggression out of it.
• Finish with your best olive oil off the heat — heat destroys what you paid for.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Garlic toast
• A glass of Chianti
• A sharp green salad

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 5 days and better on day two. Freezes for 3 months; add the kale fresh on reheating.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.