Category: Kale

Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew

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Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew

  • Servings: 9 Servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
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This makes a great fall stew. If you grow your own kale, this is a hearty vegetable that grows well into late fall. We found this recipe to be hearty, filling and cozy.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dried cannellini beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 6 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (we used thick cut bacon)
  • 1 large onion, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 medium celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
  • 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch kale (about 1 lb), stems trimmed and leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups loosely packed)
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In nonstick pan, heat oil and cook bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon but keep the fat and oil in the pan.
  2. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook on medium high heat until onion is translucent. Usually about 5 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and cook until it starts to brown.
  4. Place all the ingredients into a slow cooker.
  5. Cook on high for 6 hours or slow for 8 hours.

Nutrition Per Serving

  • Calories 468
  • Fat 18 g
  • Sugar 6 g
  • Carbohydrates 6.25 g
  • Protein 19.25 g
  • Fibre 4.65 g

This was a fun experiment for me. I was trying to find a way to use up the kale. There were three people at the table, who are not the biggest fans of kale and they liked this. I used a mixture of green and purple kale. You could use collard greens, or even swiss chard. This is where you can have fun and make it your own.