Ingredients

• 2 cups of dry white beans or canned white beans
• 1 roughly chopped onion
• 2 cans of ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
• Salt and pepper
• Hot red pepper flakes (optional to add an extra spicy kick to the meal)

Prep Instructions

1. Soak beans overnight. Or not if you decide to use canned beans. I always use dry beans and lentils and soak them well.  Just dump the beans into a bowl and cover with cold. Soak for at least 24 hours.

2. On medium temperature heat the coconut oil in a pressure cooker or a bigger pot and add chopped onions. Saute for 5 minutes until slightly brownish but not longer to avoid burning it.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients canned tomatoes, tomato paste, beans. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if you decide to use the spicy kicker in the recipe) and mix well all ingredients.

4. Get the stew to a boiling point, then mix well again especially the bottom of the pan so that nothing sticks to it and burns later. Close the pan tightly with a lid.

5. Lower the temperature to medium-low.

6. Cook on low with a lid tightly closed for 45 minutes in a pressure cooker (since the moment the pressure has been reached) and 1,5 hours on a standard pot if you are using soaked beans. Or for 45 minutes if you used canned beans.

Nutrition Facts & Tips

For the meat lovers who cannot imagine a stew without any trace of meat I suggest you use a slice or two of bacon. Just slice it, dice it and saute together with the onions. Do not discard the fat and keep it. This will add a bit more calories and some say unhealthy fats but I believe in moderation in everything. When I use bacon I do not put the whole pack but 1-2 slice however I do use all the fat. This definitely adds a kick to the whole stew. Both versions of the stew: vegetarian and baconish are amazing and nutritious meals. This meal as most at Work Week Foodie freezes well so always try to Power Cook it so you can freeze for later when the office days get really crazily busy. And believe me they will one of these days.