Chorizo & Butter Bean Stew with Kale

Soak the beans overnight in a bowl of water covered by a tea towel. When ready drain the beans and put into a large saucepan and cover with plenty cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 hour or until really soft and tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, cook for a few seconds then add the chorizo sausage. Cook, stirring every now and then until lightly browned, then add the onion and a couple of tablespoons water and continue to cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes or until the onion has softened. The oil should take on a lovely rusty orange colour from the chorizo.

Now add the wine and boil fast until it has reduced to a couple of tablespoons. Tip the whole lot into a large saucepan and add the celery, peppers and aubergines and cook over a medium heat for a good 10 minutes, moving the veggies around so they don’t stick. Once the veggies look softened, pour in the stock, add the potatoes, the thyme and half the cooked butter beans, season well with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring about three times so that the beans and aubergines begin to break up and thicken the stew (if getting too thick add more stock or water).

Cook the kale in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, drain then refresh in a bowl of cold water to set the colour.

To finish the stew, stir in the remaining butter beans, the tomatoes and the kale. Bring up to the boil, taste and season again and ladle into warm bowls.

Scatter over the coriander or parsley, spoon the stew into deep, warmed bowls and serve with some fresh crusty bread.