With everything that’s been going on lately, it feels like the right time to get back to the basics in the kitchen and use staples you would find in your pantry to rustle up something simple and comforting.

Butter bean stew is a classic pantry meal that is our idea of heaven for a weekday delectable veggie dinner (throw in the bonus of butter beans being high in protein and fiber and low in fat).

Make a stockpot worth and serve it straight up like a stew with crusty warm bread. Leftovers can be served on a bed of rice or on warm boiled potatoes. Alternatively, you could reduce it down, slap it on tortillas, along with chopped avocado and a little yoghurt — yumz!

Star tip: Hunt your local farmer’s market and the fresh produce sections at the grocery store to add vegetables which are in season to your stew to make a delicious vibrant seasonal dish!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the stew

1. 1 red onion, finely chopped
2. 3 bay leaves
3. 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4. ½ tsp chilli flakes
5. 1 tbsp thyme leaves
6. 2 sprigs of sage, leaves finely sliced
7. 1 tsp dried oregano
8. 150ml white wine
9. 200ml vegetable or chicken stock
10. 1 tsp paprika
11. 1 tin (400g) of chopped tomatoes
12. 1 tbsp tomato paste
13. 1 tsp sugar
14. 400g cooked butter beans (either canned or home cooked), drained

Breadcrumb toppings:

1. Breadcrumbs/Panko breadcrumbs
2. 2 tbsp chopped almonds
3. 1 tsp chilli flakes
4. 1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
5. 1 garlic clove, minced
6. 1 unwaxed lemon, zested

Garnish:

1. 100g crumbled feta
2. Small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

Steps:

1. In a stockpot, sauté the onions, garlic, dried chilli, and herbs with plenty of olive oil over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, until they begin to caramelize and completely soften.
2. Add the wine, stock, tinned tomatoes and tomato paste, paprika, and sugar, and simmer for an hour.

3. In this time, prepare the breadcrumbs by heating olive oil in a frying pan, then adding breadcrumbs and turning in the rosemary, garlic, chilli, and almonds, plus some salt and pepper.
4. Take off the heat and add the lemon zest, and keep warm.

5. When the stew has simmered for an hour, add the beans and cook for a further 20 minutes before finishing with a squeeze of lemon.
6. Serve in bowls with crumbled feta and the breadcrumbs, plus some chopped parsley.

Our 4.7L/5qt Accent Series Stainless Steel Small Stockpot is perfect for this recipe, with its heavy-gauge stainless steel bottom giving gorgeous browning and flavors in the caramelization stage. If you're cooking for 4 people or so, double the recipe and go with our 6.2L/6.5qt Stainless Steel Medium Stockpot!