This is one of those recipes that I could eat every single day, no exaggeration. If it weren’t for my sister/roommate, I probably would. But you don’t need to eat this every day to realize how good it is, the first spoonful will tell you that. Don’t let it fool you with its simplicity and convenience, it is so rich and hearty. You’ll feel like an elderly person has been making this for hours before serving it to you, yea… it’s one of those dishes. By now you guys know how much I love balanced dishes. This dish is packed with protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and vitamin C (thanks to that cheeky green chili pepper).
Of course, being the herb gal that I am, I added a lot of spinach, but you could always tone it down by reducing 1-2 cups of what the recipe calls for. I also had a leek in the back of the fridge so that’s what I used, but if you’re not a fan of leeks you could always opt for onions, 1 large onion does the job. Also, harness spring by using green garlic if you find it at your farmer’s market, it makes all the difference. Instead of 3 garlic cloves, use 3 green garlic stems.
Spinach and Leek Bean Stew
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour and 27 minutes
Serving: 3-4 portions
Ingredients
- 1 cup (180g) dried navy beans
- 1 medium-sized leek, 2 packed cups when chopped
- 6 cups (350g) chopped spinach*
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 green chili pepper, optional
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
Spices:
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp veggie stock powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
Notes:
This recipe is packed with spinach, but if you’d like less spinach, reduce the amount used by 2 cups.
Instructions:
1. Soak the beans overnight and cook with ½ tsp of cumin and 1 tsp of salt until tender, mine took 1 hour and 10 minutes.
2. Wash and dry the spinach, and roughly chop it into medium-sized pieces, and set aside.
3. Thinly slice the leek. In a large pot, heat up the olive oil and add the leeks. Saute until translucent, around 3 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the garlic and chili pepper finely. Add them to the pan and saute for an extra 30 seconds. Once aromatic, add in the turmeric, black pepper, remaining ½ tsp of cumin, and veggie stock powder (you could also use salt instead of this) and saute for another 30 seconds.
5. Now add the chopped spinach to the aromatics and saute until wilted and turned bright green, around 3 minutes. Add in the cooked navy beans along with 3 cups of water. Give everything a good stir and let it cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Stir the pot occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom. After 10 minutes, check the consistency. I prefer a watery stew, but you can let it bubble a bit more without the lid to have a thicker stew. Once off the heat, check for salt and adjust as needed. Add 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice and voila!
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, warm bread, and lemon wedges. Comfort in a bowl!
