There’s something deeply satisfying about a pot of beans simmering slowly on a cold winter’s day.
This Tuscan White Bean Stew combines tender cannellini beans with tomato, garlic and fragrant herbs, with pitted Sicilian green olives added at the end for an extra savoury punch.
Finish generously with JOSEPH First Run Extra Virgin Olive Oil and serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up every last drop.
Ingredients
- 60ml JOSEPH First Run Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra to finish
- 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 65g tomato paste
- 180ml dry white wine
- 1 x 800g tin whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 bay leaf
- 375ml vegetable stock, plus extra if needed
- 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 150g pitted Sicilian green olives
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Crusty bread, to serve
Method
1. Make the soffritto
Heat the JOSEPH Olive Oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat.
Add the onion with a small pinch of salt and cook for 7 - 8 minutes until soft and golden.
Add the carrot, celery and garlic and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Build the flavour
Add the chilli flakes, parsley and sage and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir through the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, allowing it to deepen slightly in colour.
Pour in the white wine and simmer for around 3 minutes, scraping up any flavour from the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the tomatoes
Add the crushed tomatoes and their juices, followed by the bay leaf and a generous grind of black pepper.
Bring to a lively simmer and cook uncovered for 12 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down into a rich sauce.
4. Stew the beans
Add the cannellini beans and vegetable stock and stir well.
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the Sicilian green olives and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. For a thicker, creamier stew, gently crush a few of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
5. Finish and serve
Remove the bay leaf and stir through the fresh basil. Taste before adding salt – the olives will already bring plenty of savoury flavour – then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
Spoon into warm bowls and finish generously with JOSEPH First Run Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Serve immediately with crusty bread for mopping up the rich tomato sauce.
A hearty tomato-based stew calls for a savoury Winter red. Our Shale Stone Shiraz, with its juicy red fruit and savoury character, is made for this kind of cosy cooking. Buon appetito!
