This week my daughter made a wonderful bean stew that's perfect for the blustery, cold and wet weather we're experiencing at the moment. Made with a selection of nourishing, sweet, seasonal root vegetables, this stew is very delicately spiced and yet very warming. There's nothing more satisfying than stews and soups in the Winter months.
If you are following the SCD you can use just navy beans in this dish and if you're early on in the diet just use more butternut squash instead of the swede (rutabaga).
This recipe serves 3 - 4 people.
Chunky Vegetable & Bean Stew GF SCD
2 red onions
1 leek
1 clove garlic crushed
4 large carrots
¼ butternut squash
¼ swede (rutabaga - advanced SCD)
1 red bell pepper
1 pint filtered water
450g cooked beans (if you are following the SCD use Navy/Haricot beans)
500 - 600 g organic passata (sieved tomatoes)
½ - 1 tsp mild chilli powder or a sprinkling of dried chillis (SCD)
¼ - ½ tsp cinnamon
½ - 1 tsp dried thyme
½ - 1 tsp dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
fresh basil leaves
Chop the red onion length ways and then into eight pieces each.
Heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a deep pan, add the onions then cook on a medium heat cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until soft and lightly browned.
Wash and slice the leek, peel and cut the carrots into chunks, peel and cut the swede (rutabaga) into chunks.
Tip the chopped vegetables into the pan.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the garlic, spices and bay leaf to the pan. We used an ordinary teaspoon to measure and the highest measured quantities above in the recipe are probably nearer to the quantities we used if using a measuring spoon.
Stir well and continue to cook for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Chop the butternut squash.
Add the butternut squash to the pan and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes. Pour a pint of filtered water into the pan.
Bring to the boil, cover and cook on a medium heat for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the water has reduced a bit. Meanwhile chop the red bell pepper in a mini chopper or use a hand blender.
Pour into a measuring jug and add enough passata to bring the liquid to a pint.
Pour into the pan and add the beans, we used chickpeas and cannellini beans today but navy beans will work just as well if you are following the SCD.
Continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes on a medium to high heat to reduce and thicken the liquid. Add some fresh basil leaves just before serving.
Serve on its own or with rice or SCD legal cauliflower rice.
