Vicky's White Bean Stew with Kale
- 1 lb white beans
- 8 cups water
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 small carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 celery rib, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups unsalted vegetable stock (substitute with chicken stock if desired)
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 1 small bunch kale, washed, stems removed, and leaves roughly chopped
- 4 ozs prosciutto (optional), cut into small pieces
- Coarse salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Extra virgin olive for drizzling
- Tabasco sauce, optional
Soak beans in cold water overnight, strain and rinse.
If you don’t have time to soak beans overnight, rinse the beans and then place them in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil and boil for two to three minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and let stand for one hour and then drain the water.
Meanwhile, in a frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and season with salt. Cook vegetables, stirring, until tender, about 8 minutes.
Add vegetables to the pot of beans, then add the vegetable stock and sage. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the beans are tender. Add extra water if the stew is too thick.
While the bean mixture is simmering, use the same frying pan used to sauté the vegetables, add a drizzle of olive oil and the prosciutto. Sauté until crispy, drain on a paper towel and put in a small serving bowl.
When the beans are tender, remove the sage sprigs, add the chopped kale and simmer covered for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve. Garnish as desired with crispy prosciutto, good quality olive oil and a few drops of tabasco sauce and enjoy with a glass of Amista Grenache!
