Bean and Sweet Potato Stew

This week, Gezond Leven is organizing “Legume Week” to bring a little more attention to this incredibly versatile—and yet often underrated—food. I’m happy to jump on board and share a simple yet super delicious recipe with you where legumes are the stars of the show. Research* shows that barely 20% of Belgians include legumes in their weekly meals. One in five never eats them. So it’s high time to change that! In addition to being a great flavor enhancer, they’re also super healthy. Their high protein content makes them an ideal meat substitute, and they’re also high in fiber. They’re inexpensive and have a low environmental impact. So there are plenty of reasons to stop by the legume section the next time you go to the store—and with this dish, you’re guaranteed to whip up a delicious meal.

* Source: Legume Week Puts Legumes Back on the Map! | Healthy Living. (2023, February 2). Healthy Living. Retrieved February 4, 2023, fromhttps://www.gezondleven.be/nieuws/week-van-de-peulvrucht-zet-peulvruchten-weer-op-de-kaart

Ingredients: (for 2 big eaters, 4 small eaters, or 3 average eaters—you decide which applies best to you 😉)

• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 500 g tomato paste 
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 400 g sweet potato
• 100 g white beans
• 175 g chickpeas
• 15 cherry tomatoes 
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes

Preparation (45 minutes)

1. Finely chop the onion.
2. Pour some olive oil into a large pan over medium heat and sauté the onion.
3. Finely chop the garlic. 
4. When the onion becomes translucent, add the garlic.
5. Then add the tomato purée, dried herbs, and garam masala. 
6. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into cubes. The easiest way to do this is to first slice it into rounds and then cut those rounds horizontally and vertically into strips to form cubes.
7. Steam the sweet potato until it is almost al dente.
8. Meanwhile, add the beans and chickpeas.
9. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the pan.
10. Dice the sun-dried tomatoes and add them to the mixture.
11. Let it simmer over low heat.
12. Add the steamed sweet potato and mix everything together. Let it cook for a few more minutes, until the sweet potato is tender (and you can easily pierce it with a fork).

Enjoy your meal!

Tip:

The idea is to steam the sweet potato until it’s just not quite done. When you add it to the pan afterward, it will continue to cook a bit more; otherwise, it would turn into mush. And of course, we don’t want that. 😉

Recipe video: