Cauliflower and white bean stew

Cauliflower and white bean stew is a one of those no-fuss, mid-week meals I’ve been making for years.

There’s something vaguely Mediterranean about it – Spanish or maybe Greek – which can be played up by adding smoked paprika, or a scattering of crumbled feta. But generally I just make it as below.

It took awhile for the girls to warm to it (courgette has always been a hard sell for some reason), but they eat it happily now.

Cauliflower and white bean stew
(serves 4)

• 1 Tb sunflower oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 courgette, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 x 400g tins cannellini (or butter) beans, drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper
• half a large head of cauliflower, broken into florets
• parsley, to garnish

1. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over a medium flame. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until softened.
2. Add the courgette, garlic and thyme, and cook a few minutes more.
3. Add the tomatoes, drained beans, and a tin of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for about fifteen minutes until the mixture has thickened.
4. Stir in the cauliflower and cook for about ten minutes until it is cooked through.
5. Adjust the seasonings and garnish with the parsley. Serve over quinoa, rice or boiled potatoes.

Tags: butter beans, cannellini beans, cauliflower, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian