Pork, beef & lamb· GF · DF

'Nduja & Butter Bean Stew

Name: 'Nduja & Butter Bean Stew
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 tins (480g drained) butter beans; 2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes; 100g 'nduja; 1 (150g) onion, diced; 1 (160g) red pepper, diced; 150g frozen leaf spinach; 4 cloves (20g) garlic; 1 (10g) red chilli, chopped; 3g fennel seeds; 3g chilli flakes; 10g fresh basil; 10ml olive oil; 1 cube chicken stock cube; 150ml water

Butter beans in a rich tomato sauce spiked with fiery Calabrian 'nduja, red pepper and fennel seed.

makes 22 blocks, about 30p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/nduja-and-butter-bean-stew/

Illustration of a bowl of 'Nduja & Butter Bean Stew

Time: 50 min10 min prep · 40 min cook
Makes: 22 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 30p
Calories per blockCalories: 64 kcal
Spice: 4 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

2 tins (480g drained)butter beans
2 × 400g tinschopped tomatoes
100g'nduja
1 (150g)onion, diced
1 (160g)red pepper, diced
150gfrozen leaf spinach
4 cloves (20g)garlic
1 (10g)red chilli, chopped
3gfennel seeds
3gchilli flakes
10gfresh basil
10mlolive oil
1 cubechicken stock cube
150mlwater

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Crusty bread · Over pasta with parmesan · On toast with a fried egg

Method

Step 1: Melt the 'nduja in the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat for 3 minutes, breaking it up, until the oil runs red.
Step 2: Add the onion and pepper and soften for 8 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli, fennel and chilli flakes for 1 minute.
Step 3: Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Add the butter beans for 10 minutes, then the spinach until wilted.
Step 5: Stir in the torn basil, then taste and season. Cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Milder: use 75g chorizo instead of the 'nduja.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	64	3.1g	5.9g	2.6g	1.9g	0.46g
Per 3 blocks	192	9.3g	17.7g	7.8g	5.7g	1.38g

Cook’s notes

'Nduja varies a lot in heat; start with 75g and add more to taste.
Chorizo makes a milder version, about a 3.
Look for 'nduja in the deli aisle or with the cured meats.

Serve it

Crusty bread · Over pasta with parmesan · On toast with a fried egg.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 192 kcal and 9.3g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

'Nduja & Butter Bean Stew questions

Can I use a different bean?

Cannellini beans or chickpeas both work in place of the butter beans. Use the same two tins, drained.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Leave out the 'nduja, fry 1 tsp smoked paprika with the fennel seeds and use a vegetable stock cube. You lose the porky richness, so add a little extra olive oil at the start.

Why melt the 'nduja first?

'Nduja is mostly fat and chilli. Melting it in the oil releases its red, spicy fat, which then flavours the onion, pepper and every bean in the pot.