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Black bean and vegetable stew in the white bowl

Black bean stew with vegetables, quinoa and amaranth

Super filling slow-cooked, tomato-based dish that is full of nutrients and is bursting with flavour.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup black beans (or red, kidney, cannellini or pinto beans), soaked overnight
  • 2 carrots, preferably organic, peeled
  • 1 leek, peeled
  • 1 medium-size red onion, peeled
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 courgette
  • 1 yellow bell pepper (or any pepper), preferably organic
  • 1 cup frozen corn, preferably organic
  • 1 tomato Passata, preferabaly organic and in a glass jar
  • 1 tsp tomato puree
  • 2 Tbsp amaranth
  • 2 Tbsp quinoa, ideally a mixture of different colours
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried paprika
  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
  • a pinch of cayenne pepper, optional and only when the treatments have ended

Garnish for 1 portion:

  • 3 scallions
  • 1/2 lime
  • a handful of spinach leaves or cavolo nero
  • a handful of fresh coriander (cilantro)

Instructions
 

  • Wash all your vegetables thoroughly. Pay special attention to the leek making sure there’s no soil residue left on it.
    bean stew ingredients arranged on a white wooden table
  • Slice the onions and leek, cut the courgette, carrots and pepper into small pieces and finely chop the garlic.
    chopped carrots, red pepper, leek, garlic, courgette and red onion arranged on a white round plate
  • In a large, deep pan heat the olive oil over medium low heat, add the onion, leek and carrots, lower the heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    Add the turmeric, cumin, oregano and thyme, stir well and cook for further 2 minutes.
    chopped vegetables mixed with turmeric and olive oil in a deep saucepan
  • Add the garlic and tomato puree, stir well again and after a minute or so. Turn up the heat to medium, add the passata and a glass of cold water together with quinoa, amaranth, beans and peppers, making sure it’s all mixed well. Bring it to boil, lower the heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes.
    black beans and vegetables together with tomato sauce, quinoa and amaranth in a deep saucepan
  • Add the courgette together with the corn and paprika. Stir again and let it simmer for further 10 minutes or until the beans are soft.
    tomato based black bean stew topped with corn and chopped courgette in a deep saucepan
  • Just before the serving, add the spinach which will cook in the stew almost instantly, in about 1-2 minutes.
    fresh herbs, peeled salad onions, spinach and a half of lime aranged on a white wooden table
  • Serve in a bowl with the lime squeezed over it and topped with sliced scallions and chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves.
    Black bean and vegetable stew in the white bowl

Notes

Cooking the beans beforehand will reduce the cooking time of the stew almost by half.
The toppings are a very important part of this dish. They transform it completely and bring this dish alive. 
As they're raw (not cooked) make sure you pay special attention when washing them.
Keyword aromatic, easy, filling, gluten-free, nutritious, vegetarian