Super bean and vegetable braise

For this hotpot of goodness, you could use a medley of beans to make it interesting. The subtle touch of smoky paprika or fenugreek gets better with age, so don’t be afraid to make a big batch. You just feel so good after eating this.

• serves

  8-10

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  1:20 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3 red capsicums (bell peppers)
• 100 ml (3½ fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks, white part only, sliced into rounds
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 carrots, cut into 2 cm (¾ in) dice
• 4 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2 long red chillies, sliced on an angle
• 5 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 x 400 g (14 oz tin beans, such as borlotti, cannellini, red kidney (adzuki) or butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
• 400 g (14 oz) tin diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
• 2 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
• 5 silverbeet (Swiss chard) leaves, leaves stripped from stems and torn
• flaked salt and white pepper, to season
• steamed brown rice, smashed avocado and a squeeze of lime, to serve, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
2. Roast the capsicums on a baking tray for 20 minutes, then tip into a bowl and cover with a plate. Set aside to sweat for 10 minutes, then remove the skins and seeds. Cut the flesh into 2 cm (¾ in) squares.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, wide-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leek, onion and garlic, season with salt and white pepper and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the carrot and celery, then cook for about 15 minutes, until sticky and caramelised. Add the capsicum, spices, chilli and herbs and cook for a further 5 minutes.
5. Stir in all the beans, along with the stock cube, tomato, tomato paste and vinegar.
6. Top up with a little water to just cover by an inch above, then season and bring to a simmer. Stir in the silverbeet and gently braise for 45 minutes over a low heat. Adjust the seasoning as needed before serving.
7. Serve with brown rice, smashed avocado and a squeeze of lime, if desired, or eat on its own.

This is an edited extract from Cook: Green by Karen Martini (Hardie Grant Books). Photography: © Armelle Habib

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.