Navy Bean Stew

I have been experimenting with beans quite a bit this year and this recipe has turned out to be a favourite. I made these beans on Sunday and served them with some nice Toulouse sausages that I bought at Cumbraes ( my favourite meat shop in Toronto). I have also served these with a leg of lamb and I have eaten them on their own for lunch.

They are simple to make and you can start from dried beans as I did here or you can use canned beans as long as you rinse them well. You could also experiment with the herbs you use. I used thyme and parsley but rosemary or oregano would also work well.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dried navy beans or 2 cans
1 onion chopped rough
1 carrot chopped rough
1 celery stalk chopped rough

Soak the beans in a large bowl of water overnight. Drain and rinse. Place the beans, onion, carrot and celery in a stock pot, Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain and discard the onion, carrot and celery.

2 T olive oil
1 large onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 medium carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 cups of broth-chicken or vegetable
3 cups of cooked beans
1 t chili flakes - optional
1 T thyme chopped
1 T parsley chopped
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese

In a sauce pan add the olive oil. Saute the onion for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and celery and continue to saute for 10 minutes. Add the broth, the beans and the chili flakes and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the thyme, parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the Parmesan cheese just before you are going to serve the dish.