Bean and Tomato Stew can be made from any combination of beans in the cupboard. Plan ahead to soak the beans overnight.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c dried red kidney beans
• 1/2 c dried black kidney beans
• 1/2 c dried pinto beans
• 1/2 c dried white beans
• 1/2 c dried lima beans
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried summer savory (or epazote if available)
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped (more if liked)
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 c olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 2 c chopped tomatoes *(canned are fine, add the liquid to the stew)
• salt, pepper to taste
• chopped fresh parsley to garnish
• grated cheese to garnish (optional)

Method

The night before cooking, wash and sort through the beans. Place them in a large pot with water (6–7 cups) and soak, covered,  overnight in a cool place. Next day drain and rinse. Refill the pot with about 8–10 cups water, bring to a boil and boil the beans for a few minutes. Skim off any foam, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about one hour, stirring occasionally, add the herbs (but no salt) and continue cooking,

In the meantime, saute the onion, garlic and celery in the oil until everything is softened but not browned. Add the sauteed vegetables to the beans and mix well; simmer for another hour or so. When the beans are all cooked through, add the tomatoes and salt/pepper and heat through. Remove the bay leaf. Serve very hot, with parsley and grated cheese on top of each serving.

*Don’t cook the raw beans with tomatoes or anything acidic; they will get tough during cooking.

This Bean and Tomato stew freezes well in plastic containers.