A warming French stew filled with nutritious beans, vegetables and protein. They call it peasant food which is five star in my book! So satisfying and comforting on a cold day. This dish is full of nutritional fiber from the organic vegetables and the classic French cassoulet white bean; the added protein rounds out the dish making it not only delicious but truly nutritious! You can change up the protein; chicken,lamb or pork are all perfect for this dish.
8 ounces classic white beans, soaked in water(Rancho Gordo Brand)
1 package chicken breast chunks or thighs, small lamb chops or pork tenderloin chunks
1 large onion, chunked and 1 large leek, chopped
1 medium bulb of organic fennel
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 slices of ham or bacon, chopped
1 can of whole tomatoes or 4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
3-4 medium organic carrots, cut diagonally
1 large bunch Swiss chard, roughly chopped
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 tablespoon each of herbes de Provence , Harissa seasoning(Frontier Brand)
1 teaspoon ground coriander, sea salt,Aleppo pepper and additional fresh ground pepper and a dash or two of olive oil
Bring the soaked beans and water to a slow boil along with the garlic, onions,leek and fennel
Add the chopped ham or bacon and tomatoes along with the herbs, spices and chopped parsley
If using chicken, add it to the pot; if using lamb or pork, brown it first before adding it to the pot
Add Swiss chard and drained artichoke hearts, add broth or water if necessary
Simmer the stew for 1 to 11/2 hour until beans are tender and meat is cooked thoroughly
Serve the stew on it’s own with crusty bread
I like to serve it with potato gnocchi or a basmati rice
This is just delicious, enjoy with a glass of Pinot Noir or Chardonnay!