Roasted Tomato & White Bean Stew (Bean Craving a Good Stew)
Friday night…my mind was thinking about the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.
The plan, grilling on Monday. Something classic, burgers, potato salad, strawberry shortcake, the “Summer is finally here” meal. Saturday’s dinner was taken care of, take-out and delivery from one of the legacy restaurants in SF Chinatown, Kam Po. A fundraiser for Chinatown Community Development Center combined with helping a Chinatown mom and pop business. A win-win, I ordered roast duck, crispy skinned pork and bbq pork plates…can’t wait.
What’s for Dinner Tonight?
But it was Friday and I still hadn’t started dinner. I cooked quite a bit during the week and was admittedly ready for an easy cook meal. I peered into the pantry hunting for inspiration…hmmm, a couple of cans of white beans. Further rummaging around the kitchen produced cherry tomatoes, a couple of Italian sausages, one lonely onion. Jamie had recently tried a recipe from the NYTimes, Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew that she gave a hearty thumbs up to on all counts-ease of prep and deliciousness.
I Was In Business
Winner winner beanie dinner. This dish is simple, quick and so satisfying. Roast tomatoes in olive oil and thyme which intensifies their flavor and sweetness. I used a medley of gold and red cherry tomatoes, use whatever you like. While they are roasting, saute’ the onions, garlic, and pepper flakes. Add beans-reserve the liquid from the cans just in case to adjust the consistency of the sauce. Give the stew a couple of stirs and mash some of the beans with a big spoon to thicken it. Make sure to scrape all the tasty bits from roasting the tomatoes and add them to the beans along with the tomatoes and their liquid.
Home Stretch
Simmer a couple of minutes and voila’, dinner is served. This stew is really, really good, the sweetness of the tomatoes and onions, the nice mouthfeel from the beans, yummy, YUMMY, yummy. I love the garlic and thyme, but I’m wondering if rosemary would work too. We grilled a couple of Italian sausages, sliced, and added them to the pot right before serving. You could also just serve them on the side. Grilled shrimp or cod would be a lovely match too. OR, keep it vegetarian, this stew is so flavorful and satisfying you won’t even miss the protein. Top it with the parsley and lemon gremolata which adds a herby-citrus zing and you are in business. The Hubs and Jorge don’t like beans but they both admitted that this was delicious. Now that’s a strong recommendation!
Make this stew the next time you need a quick, easy, hearty meal. It’s just so tasty!
Looking for other meatless recipes? This Red Lentil Soup from NYTimes is delicious~~
Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew
Ingredients
Garnish
- ½ cup roughly chopped Italian parsley leaves and tender stems
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest from 1 large lemon
Stew
- 2 10-ounce containers cherry or grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons and more for drizzling (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 3-4 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 2 15-ounce cans white beans (such as butter or cannellini), rinsed
- 1 ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth or water
- 2 Italian sausage optional mild or spicy, your choice
Serve with
- Flaky salt for serving (optional)
- Toasted bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, gently toss together the parsley and lemon zest with your hands until well combined; set aside.
- In a large baking dish or on a sheet pan, toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup oil and thyme; season well with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until they have collapsed and begin to turn golden around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
- When the tomatoes are almost done roasting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large (12-inch), deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rinsed beans and broth and bring to a simmer. With the back of a spoon or spatula, gently smash about ½ cup of the beans so they slightly thicken the broth. If you want a thicker stew, crush some more of the beans. Season with salt and pepper.
- When the tomatoes are finished roasting, add them directly to the stew along with any juices that have been released. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more so the flavors meld; season to taste with salt.
- Ladle into shallow bowls. Top each serving with some of the lemon-parsley mixture and drizzle with some more olive oil, and season with flaky salt, if you like. Serve with toasted bread.
