Easy Bean Cassoulet With Swede Mash

I seem to really have a thing for recipes that involve a tin of tomatoes lately. Does the fact that they are cheap as hell and have a long shelf life have anything to do with this coincidence? No! Absolutely not! Nope. Nu-uh.

Alright, maybe just a little.

I created this wonderful little concoction as a ‘clear-the-cupboards-out’ meal before the food shop and I have to say, it served me well. Sometimes it’s those dishes that turn out to be the best because you don’t think too much about the outcome and just enjoy the process. (Putting love and happiness and sunshine and rainbows in to your food makes it taste 100x times better, you see. I think I heard that on one of Gordan Ramsay’s TV shows once…)

I’m a sucker for swede mash, particularly when it has a dash of nutmeg and a hint of cream for good measure. It just balances out the rich flavours of the tomato based bean stew and made for a very satisfying winter lunch enjoyed with a side of my mother’s delightful company – who gave me the final seal of approval to share this on my blog! Let me know if you get round to making this, as it’s always lovely to see how you recreate stuff I put out there. Enjoy!

What you need:

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 large carrot, sliced

2 sticks celery, chopped

1 tin tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tin haricot beans, drained

1 tin butter beans, drained

salt + pepper

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

dash of paprika

for the mash:

1 swede, peeled and chopped

1 tsp butter or olive oil

salt + pepper

What you need to do:

Fry off the onion in oil until soft, then add in the garlic. Cook for a further few minutes and then add in the carrots and celery with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Add in the tomatoes, tomato puree and the seasoning with a little extra water before bringing to the boil and simmering on low for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, make the mash by boiling the swede for 25 minutes until tender and mashing up with the butter or oil and plenty of salt and pepper.

10 minutes before serving, add in the beans. Taste to see if it needs a little more seasoning, then serve up with the mash and perhaps a little garnish.