Spanish Butter-Bean Stew
with Fragrant Rice
Recipes like Chef Lizzie’s hearty and wholesome vegetarian stew make packing in your five-a-day easy. Butter beans are a great ingredient for bulking up stews as well as being a useful source of potassium. For the perfect protein combination of grain and bean, we’ve served this stew with fluffy basmati rice (the tip in step 2 will change your rice cooking game for good!). Topped with a crunchy almond salsa and a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice, this dish will nourish you from the inside out.
1
Butter Beans
1
Chopped Tomatoes
1
Echalion Shallot
28
Red Wine Stock Paste
()
150
Basmati Rice
10
Flat Leaf Parsley
25
Flaked Almonds
( )
30
Black Olives
1
Smoked Paprika
1
Dried Oregano
1
Lemon
1
Courgette
()
1
Vegetable Stock Powder
125
Baby Spinach
300
Water for the Stock
Boil your kettle. Put a frying pan on medium heat (no oil) and add the flaked almonds. Toast until golden, shaking the pan occasionally, 2-3 mins. Transfer to a bowl and set aside (keep the pan!). Halve, peel and finely slice the shallot. Dissolve the vegetable stock pot in a measuring jug with the boiling water (see ingredients for amount).
Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and add half the shallot. Cook, stirring, until soft, 2-3 mins. Stir in the rice and then the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 mins, then remove from the heat and set aside (still covered) for another 10 mins. TIP: The rice will finish cooking in its own steam.
Meanwhile, remove the ends from the courgette, halve lengthways and slice into 1cm thick half moons. Heat a splash of oil in the now empty frying pan and add the remaining shallot. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3 mins. Add the courgette, dried oregano and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and red wine stock pot. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the stock pot, lower the heat and simmer until thick, 10 mins.
While the stew cooks, drain and rinse the butter beans in a sieve. Roughly chop the parsley and black olives. Zest the lemon then chop into wedges. In a small bowl, stir together the toasted almonds, parsley, olives and a good pinch of lemon zest. Season with plenty of pepper, taste and add more lemon zest if necessary.
When the stew has thickened mix in the butter beans. Add the spinach a handful at a time, stirring until wilted and heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fluff up the rice with a fork and stir through the remaining lemon zest.
Serve the rice in bowls topped with the butter bean stew and finished with a sprinkling of the the almond salsa. Add the lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over. Enjoy!
