Black & White Bean Stew

This stew is deliciously tasty and the range of colours make the dish look amazing! Maybe it should be called rainbow stew ;-)

A bit of chopping involved & it needs to cook for a while but its easy to do, so its definitely not a stressful meal to make.

If you have children, get them involved with the chopping & draining of the beans - they'll love it!

You'll need:

1 can black beans

1 can cannellini beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 can corn (you can use fresh or frozen if you'd rather)

1/4 head cauliflower

1 zucchini

1 carrot

1 large brown onion

1 red capsicum

1 large potato

1 teaspoon minced garlic (or 1 clove fresh)

1/2 teaspoon chilli (more if you like!)

2 bay leaves

juice of half a lemon

2 cups water

dried oregano & black pepper to serve

Yes, its a long list - but trust me.... the flavours come together wonderfully! And don't be tempted to leave out the lemon - it adds an amazing little zing that is delicious!

Finely chop the onion & add to a stock pot with the garlic and chilli. Saute for 5 minutes until onion is soft.

Chop all the remaining vegetables into little pieces and add to the pot along with the bay leaves & the tin of tomatoes. Add the water (I always do this by rinsing out the tomato tin!). 

Stir until all the vegetables are mixed around well.

Press the veggies down so they are under the liquid.

Place the lid on the stock pot and bring to the boil over high heat. This will take approx. 5-10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low & simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes until all the veggies are soft.

Serve with oregano and pepper.

This makes a big batch which is handy for leftovers, or even a second meal. 

To turn it into a 'pie' place the remaining stew in a casserole dish and make a "crust" by combining breadcrumbs & nutritional yeast & milk until moistened crumbs are formed. Spread the crumb mixture over the top. Bake in a moderate oven for 30minutes until warmed through & the top is golden brown.