Now that the colder days are slowly sneaking in, it’s time for warm hearty meals. Today I have a deliciously nutritious Butter Bean and mixed pepper dish packed with flavour. I chose to use Butter Beans in this recipe because it adds a fair amount of sweetness and is a brilliant source of B vitamins as well as a fantastic source of protein and nutrients. The combination of the sweet bell peppers and Butter Beans balance out the tomatoes beautifully. The pairing of the herbs and spices along with a bit of a chilli bite, creates a beautiful symphony flavours. Serving it along with toasted ciabatta adds a lovely crunch to the dish and helps you soak up all that delicious gravy. This is a snugly wholesome dish to keep you warm this winter.
Preparation: 10 -15 minutes Cooking time: 30- 45 minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 glug olive oil + extra for toasting the ciabatta
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 cup (250ml) chopped celery stalks
1-2 dried red chillies
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp (5ml) dried thyme
1 tsp (5ml) cumin powder
1 tsp (5ml) hot or mild chilli powder
½ tsp (2.5ml) freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30ml) roughly chopped fresh oregano (or replace with 1 tsp (5ml) dried oregano)
1 ½ tbsp. (22.5ml) tomato paste
1 each small red, yellow & green peppers cut into cubes
1 can butter beans – drain liquid
1 tsp (5ml) salt (adjust accordingly)
1 x knorr vegetable pot stock (or 500ml vegetable stock)
1 can chopped tomatoes
500ml hot water
¼ cup (60ml) chopped parsley
1 x 400g ciabatta
1 – 2 tbsp (15ml-30ml) mixed herbs
Let’s cook ?
Heat the oil in a pot (with a lid)
Toss in the onion, celery and red chillies, cook until soft and translucent +/- 5 minutes
Add the garlic – give it a quick mix, cook for 30 seconds
Toss in the thyme, cumin powder, chilli powder, black pepper and oregano. Give it a quick stir and then add the tomato paste. Give it another good stir and cook for another minute.
Throw in the peppers, butter beans and salt – cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the vegetable pot stock and tomatoes – give it a nice good stir – cook for 5-8 minutes.
Pour in the water – cover with a lid. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer 15 minutes or until gravy thickens.
Once cooked toss in the parsley and turn of the heat.
Slice the ciabatta and then cut into square pieces. Place this in a bowl. drizzle over some olive oil sprinkle some mixed herbs. Give it a good toss. Heat a non-stick pan on high heat. Toss cut and spiced ciabatta – toast this for a minute or two in each side.
To serve: scoop generous amounts of soup in a bowl and toss in a handful of toasted ciabatta …m mm mmm super delish – enjoy ?
* Prepare your vegetable
2. saute mixed peppers and herbs
3. Final step: Add the vegetable pot stock, tomatoes and water
