Recipe

White Bean & Cavolo Nero Stew with Rosemary Oil

Name: White Bean & Cavolo Nero Stew with Rosemary Oil
Yield: 3–4
Ingredients: 2 × 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 250g cavolo nero, stalks removed, leaves roughly torn; 1 large white onion, finely diced; 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 2 sticks celery, finely diced; 2 tbsp olive oil; 750ml good vegetable stock; 1 tsp dried chilli flakes; 1 bay leaf; Sea salt and black pepper; Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped; For the rosemary oil: 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary; For the rosemary oil: 80ml light olive oil

A proper winter one-pot. White beans go almost creamy when some are crushed against the side of the pan, and cavolo nero holds its texture better than kale. The rosemary oil is worth the extra five minutes.

Serves 3–4

Ready in 40 min

Keeps 5 days fridge · freezes well

Level Easy

2 × 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
250g cavolo nero, stalks removed, leaves roughly torn
1 large white onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
750ml good vegetable stock
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and black pepper
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
For the rosemary oil: 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
For the rosemary oil: 80ml light olive oil

Method

Make the rosemary oil first so it has time to cool. Put the olive oil and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan over the lowest heat possible. Leave for 8–10 minutes until the oil is fragrant and the rosemary has softened. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely — don't rush this. Strain through a sieve before serving.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide, heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery and a good pinch of salt. Cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and sweet. Don't hurry this — it's the flavour base for everything else.

Add the garlic and chilli flakes. Cook for 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges.

Add the drained beans, vegetable stock and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Then, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush roughly a quarter of the beans against the side of the pan. This thickens the broth into something almost silky without the need for blending or adding cream.

Add the torn cavolo nero leaves and stir through. Cook for 6–8 minutes until wilted and tender but still deeply green. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and season generously with salt and black pepper — beans need more salt than you think.

Stir the parsley through and ladle into deep bowls. Drizzle with a generous amount of the strained rosemary oil. Finish with a crack of black pepper and serve with good bread alongside.

✦ Chef's note

The quality of your stock sets the depth of this dish. If you're using a shop-bought cube or concentrate, reduce the quantity to 600ml and top up with water — otherwise the salt can dominate everything else. This also reheats beautifully, though you may need to add a splash of water when warming it back through as the beans continue to absorb liquid in the fridge.