Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew
Each year for Thanksgiving a group of my girlfriends and I get together for a potluck Friendsgiving. A few years back we decided that doing a full Thanksgiving potluck was too much after all doing them individually with our families and we thought it might be nice to make something lighter and so Soupsgiving was born. We would each pick a soup (or salad) to make and bring to share. We’d try to vary the types we included so that they all felt different. I’ll be honest, we’re still usually stuffed afterwards so the idea that this was a lighter meal than Thanksgiving didn’t really turn out to work, but we love trying the different soups and so we’ve continued anyway. This year, my best friend brought a NYT Cooking Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew and it was so flavorful, yet simple, it was one of my favorites and I’ve already made it twice since then. I’m still amazed that for the few ingredients involved, it turns out so delicious every time.
Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew
Ingredients
1/2 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley leaves and tender stems
2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
2 - 10 oz. containers of cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons and more for drizzling (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 - 15 oz cans white beans (such as butter or cannellini), rinsed
1 1/2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth, or water
Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
Toasted bread, for serving
Instructions
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a small bowl, gently toss together the parsley and lemon zest with your hands until well combined, set aside.
In a large baking dish or on a sheet pan, toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup oil and thyme; season well with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until they have collapsed and begin to turn golden around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
When the tomatoes are almost done roasting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large (12-inch), deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant, 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the rinsed beans and broth and bring to a simmer. With the back of a spoon or spatula, gently smash about 1/2 cup of the beans so they slightly thicken the broth. If you want a thicker stew, crush some more of the beans. Season with salt and pepper.
When the tomatoes are finished roasting, add them directly to the stew along with any juices that have been released. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more so the flavors become friendly; season to taste with salt.
Ladle into shallow bowls. Top each serving with some of the lemon-parsley mixture and drizzle with some more olive oil and season with flakey salt, if you like. Serve with toasted bread.