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Spring Leek and White Bean Stew

More difficult doesn’t always mean tastier, and complicated doesn’t always mean more delicious.

Take this very easy, one-pot stew for example. I made it for dinner on a night when we were scraping the bottom of the veggie drawer before grocery day, trying to decide whether we had enough ingredients to pull off a meal, or if we needed to order takeout.

Here’s what I had on hand: A leek, a couple of carrots, some stalks of celery, some garlic, a box of white beans, 4 cups of stock and some kale. I sautéed all of the veggies in a stock pot, added beans and stock and let it simmer down to a nice, chunky stew – and guess what? It was my family’s favorite meal of the week. Note to self to go with instinct more often!

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Spring Leek and White Bean Stew

Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Large stock pot

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 leek, sliced, soaked in water to remove grit, dried and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup dino kale (or whatever kale you have on hand), de-stemmed and chopped
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
  • 1 15-ounce can or box of white beans, with soaking liquid
  • 4 cups stock (I used chicken stock, but you can use vegetable stock to make this a vegan meal)

Instructions

  • Place the olive oil in a large stock pot and turn the heat to medium.
  • Add the leek and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook until leeks are soft and garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  • Add carrots, celery and kale, stir to combine, then add dried thyme and red pepper flakes, and allow to cook for about another 7 minutes or until carrots are softening up.
  • Add the white beans with their soaking liquid and stir to combine, then add stock.
  • Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a vigorous simmer and allow to cook and reduce with the lid off for about 25 minutes.
  • Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired; ladle into bowls and serve hot.
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Liz Fetchin.

Hey there, I'm Liz!

As a former food editor and everyday home cook, I’ve spent the past 15+ years testing, tasting and saving delicious, Octofree recipes for my family. It’s with lots of love that I share the best of the bunch with you, along with tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way.

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