I am lucky enough to have a friend who embraces veggies and throws together meals with them so well I want to recreate their fantastic flavours as soon as I return home. And this Italian Kale Stew came about as a direct result of a wonderful afternoon at her house. And finding some fresh full-stem kale at the local farm shop which I just had to have.
While I have called this a stew, it could also be termed a very full broth, although I think the chew factor always changes something from soup to stew! It’s just perfect for the winter as it is hearty but certainly not stodgy or unhealthy. In fact the high vegetable content, especially the kale which is packed with filling fibre but zero calories and is rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and a number of minerals many of us are deficient in, is perfect for keeping you feeling in tip-top condition this winter and balancing the approaching Christmas excess. The beans add protein and make it a satisfying meal. And it’s such a cheap dish to make it’s perfect for both saving money and losing the extra Christmas pounds in the New Year.
I like to serve this with fresh bread, to mop up the juices, or a homemade quiche but it’s just as yummy on its own.
Italian Kale Stew
Ingredients
- Splash of oil or water
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 sticks of celery, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 100ml red wine (optional)
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 1 litre of water
- 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
- 2 teaspoons mixed dried Italian herbs or dried oregano
- 300g kale, hard stalks removed, sliced
- 400g tins of beans, for example black eyed, flageolet, borlotti, cannellini beans
Directions
- Step 1 Place the oil/water, carrot, onion, garlic, celery and kale into a large saucepan and cook with the lid off for 5mins, add a little water if it starts to stick.
- Step 2 Remove the lid and if using add the red wine, cook for a couple of minutes on a medium heat then add the tin of tomatoes, herbs, the vegetable stock, tomato puree and kale.
- Step 3 Bring to the boil and simmer for 10mins with the lid on.
- Step 4 Remove the lid and simmer for another 5mins or until all the vegetables are just cooked before adding the drained tins of beans.
- Step 5 Cooks for a few more minutes so the beans are heated right through then season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Would love to try making this dish with my friends! I’m sure it would be a lot of fun!
Looks yummy! Would love to try it
This is right up my alley! I love a soup/stew, so much! Will definitely have to give this a try, thank you for sharing.
I can’t get my husband to eat Kale but he loves sausage so I might try this recipe out on him! I just don’t tell him about the kale 😉
Wow, this looks delicious. Possibly even easy enough for me to manage too 🙂
Delicious , definitely need to try this . Thanks for sharing xxx
I am quite interested in this dish. I love vegetable soup and I love raw kale, so this combination would be different but it looks super good in the photos!
Sounds like a delicious dish! I will definitely bookmark this and hopefully give it a try soon!
This looks so delicious and perfect for the cooler weather. Definitely have to try it out! 🙂
This looks delicious! My husband loves stews and soups and I am always looking for new recipes for when the evenings are a bit chillier.
I love these ”soup-like” dishes. Thank you for sharing, I will definitely try this recipe!
I am sold. That kale stew looks so good
This looks so good and not at all too difficult to make. I am always looking for new recipes to try for fall/winter so I will be adding this to my list.
this looks so good, especially to keep you warm during this holiday season! can’t wait to try! Thank you for sharing 🙂
This looks so yummy and a perfect meal for a cold day! Thank you for sharing.
Oh my, a feast for my eyes. This looks so hearty and filling! I’m obsessed with kale and seem to have most of these ingredients, perhaps I’ll give it a try this weekend. It’s getting super cold so stews are on the menu!
I’ve never been a big fan of stew, but this recipe looks SO good! I may have to try it out!!
Yummy recipe. Will save for later!!
Oh wow – this stew looks soo tasty. I’d love to share this recipe on Pinterest. Do you have a share button anywhere?
I would like to cook this one for someone who is into veggies. It looks so good.. yuuummmm