Leek, potato & white bean stew
Is it a stew, or is it a soup?! Well, I’ve gone with stew, but either way, here’s a nice hearty dish to try out now it’s getting a bit colder. I mean, cheese and potatoes - what’s not to like!? I can even get the kids to eat this with lots of cheddar or parmesan on top. It goes without saying that they pick the kale out though! Eating plenty of potatoes is a great way to feed your gut with prebiotics to encourage diversity in your microbiome. So what you waiting for? Get cooking!
Ingredients
Serves 6
25g butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.2kg potatoes, peeled 2cm cubes
2 sticks celery, chopped finely
2 large leek, halved 1cm slices
2 garlic cloves, grated
½ stock cube (I use Kallo veggie low salt) + 1l boiling water
1 parmesan rind, optional
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans (or any you prefer)
2 handfuls of chopped kale (tough stalks removed)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
A good grind of black pepper
A handful of grated extra mature cheddar or parmesan and parsley to serve
Method
Melt the butter and then add the oil, warming for a minute.
Fry the potatoes gently for 15 minutes and then add the leeks and celery, cooking for a further 15 minutes.
Add the garlic, stir well and cook for a further few minutes.
Add the stock, parmesan rind and cannellini beans, simmering with the lid on for 25 minutes.
Add the kale and cook for 5 minutes or until soft.
Next add the mustard , vinegar, salt and black pepper, stirring well.
Serve in bowls with a big handful of cheddar or parmesan, plus herbs if you’re using them.
A wedge of warm sourdough and salted butter is also divine with this stew.
tip
A note about stock - if I’m using a cube then I always increase the recommended amount of water (usually I double it), otherwise you end up tasting the stock cube rather than it being a savoury back note. In this recipe I have kept the stock ratio very low as it would dominate the delicate flavour of the leeks.