Kale and White Bean Stew

Good recipe, bad picture.  I made this with my boyfriend at his apartment and forgot my camera so this is a picture of some leftovers I had for lunch the next day.

I bought the February 2009 issue of Bon Appétit to read on the airplane on my way back to St. Louis.  For some reason the 3 hour flight seemed eternal so I got through the entire magazine with too much time to spare.  I went back a dog eared the pages that had recipes I wanted to try and this was one of them.  It seemed so simple but still like just the right kind of thing to combat the cold.

I omitted a few things from the recipe mostly for reasons of cost or convenience such as the thyme sprigs (instead I used dried rosemary), the bay leaf (what do those really add anyway?) and the Sherry wine vinegar.  However, I think fresh thyme (or rosemary) would have been a good investment though because unlike the large sprigs, I could not pick out the dried rosemary so it changed the texture of the stew a bit.  Regardless, this stew was everything I thought it would be.  The flavors were pure and earthy and the stew even seemed slightly creamy, just right for a brisk January night.

Kale and White Bean Stew

Adapted from Bon Appétit

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds kale leaves, center ribs and stems removed

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped peeled carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped shallots (about 4)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine [I used Trader Joe's Honey Moon, don't know if it's "dry" but it tasted great!]
• 2 15-ounce cans white beans (preferably organic), drained
• 4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons assorted chopped fresh herbs (such as tarragon, parsley, and chives) [I used chives]

Preparation

Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water 1 minute. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Squeeze out excess water. Coarsely chop kale.

Heat olive oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add chopped carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic; cook until soft, stirring, about 15 minutes (do not brown vegetables). Add white wine and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 7 minutes. Add white beans, 4 cups broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes. Add kale and simmer 5 minutes longer. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Add more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin stew, if desired. Mix in Sherry wine vinegar and chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper.