Stewed Great Northern Beans

It has been a long two weeks.

It was chaotic, messy, and exhausting. It was a medical procedure, crazy weeks at work, a missed flight/vacation, and putting our sweet cat to sleep.

It was a very emotional two weeks.

My family and I decided that it was time to shut down and rest.

And it was so needed.

As we get back to our semblance of normalcy, I am back in the kitchen. While I am cooking up so much good stuff for the Super Bowl, I knew that the first thing I needed to cook was something comforting.

Something warm.

Something that makes you feel like you’re wrapped up in a hug.

These Stewed Great Northern Beans did the trick.

They are warm, hearty, and full of flavor.

A perfect way to ease back into… everything.

It starts with the bacon…

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, cook up some bacon that has been diced. When the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pot to a paper-lined plate to drain. Leave the grease in the pot to cook up the vegetables.

Now the veggie base…

Add in some onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. I cooked the veggies until they were soft and slightly browned.

Then I added in some canned diced tomato with the juice! Whenever I am adding in the juice with diced tomatoes, I make sure to buy the low-sodium or unsalted canned tomato. Then I can control the salt content so much better!

I seasoned the veggie mixture with salt, pepper, and oregano.

Then I dumped in two cans of drained/rinsed Great Northern Beans. They are a nice hearty bean, which stands up perfectly to braising!

I added in some chicken broth to help everything simmer and then cooked the beans until they were heated through!

To serve, I dished them up on a plate, drizzled them with some balsamic vinegar, and sprinkled over the cooked bacon.

YUM.

This is a perfect dinner on its own (with loads of crusty bread and wine!), but it also is great as a bed for grilled sausages (pork or poultry!).

Definitely a hearty, warm dinner that soothes the soul.

oxox,

Catherine

Stewed Great Northern Beans

 

Save Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour 10 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Simply A (RD) Fact: Great Northern Beans are a great source of both protein and soluble fiber!

Serves: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 strips bacon, chopped - I prefer uncured, nitrate-free bacon
• ½ large onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, diced small
• 4 stalks celery, diced small
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-15oz can no-salt diced tomatoes, juice and all!
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Leaves from 5 sprigs of thyme
• 3 cans low-sodium Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
• Low sodium chicken broth
• Balsamic vinegar glaze, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat, add in bacon and cook until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. In the same pot, add in the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables are soft and golden. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add in the diced tomatoes with their juices.
4. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme.
5. Add in the drained beans and stir to combine.
6. Add in just enough chicken broth to just meet the top of the beans.
7. Simmer the beans over medium-low heat covered for one hour and then remove the lid and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
8. Serve the beans in a bowl garnished with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction and the cooked bacon.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 serving Calories: 361 calories Fat: 2gm Saturated fat: 1gm Carbohydrates: 64gm Sodium: 559mg Fiber: 17gm Protein: 23gm Cholesterol: 3mg

3.5.3229