Homey White Bean Stew with Mini Kofte
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- Drizzle of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot
- 1/2 pound ground meat formed into really small "meatballs"
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 cups fresh white beans or 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans
- 1 pint (473 ml or 2 cups) veggie broth or broth of choice.
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Make the Kofte
- If you are using preseasoned ground meat, simply form the meat into reallly small balls.
- If you are not using preseasoned ground meat, simply add 1 tsp paprika (smoked paprika if you can get your hands on it)1/2 tbsp onion powder 1/2 tbsp cumin, 1/2 tbsp coriander, 4 garlic cloves, minced, salt, and pepper ( as desired) and 1 tbsp tomato paste. Mix with your hands until well incorporated. Form into very small kofte "meatballs". Adding fresh herbs, optional.
Build the Stew
- Use a large pot with a lid. Heat the pot over a medium flame. Once heated, drizzle in the olive oil. Make sure that the bottom of the pot is well-coated with the oil.
- Next, drop each mini kofte "meatball" one by one into the pot. Once placed, do not move around. After 2-3 minutes, lift one kofte to see if it is golden. If so, flip all of the balls. They should be stable enough at the point to gently fry around. Fry until slightly golden. Remove kofte from pot then set aside.
- When ready, add the onion straight into the same pot. Season with salt and pepper. Sautee until translucent. Then, add the oregano and tomato paste—stir fry for about 30 seconds.
- Finally, add the kofte back into the pot, along with the white beans, broth, and water. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure nothing gets stuck and burned on the bottom.
- Serve right away with buttery rice, fluffy quinoa, or crusty artisanal bread.