If you’re looking for a quick and easy bean meal that is ready in just 20 minutes, then you cannot go wrong with this delicious Spanish Butterbean and Swiss Chard Stew.
Not only is this dish really comforting and tasty, it’s also inexpensive to make and highly nutritious.
What’s In Spanish Butterbean Stew?
This stew is comprised of only a few simple ingredients of butter beans, tomatoes, healthful Swiss chard, garlic and herbs. You can serve this stew with either a baked potato, brown rice, quinoa, mixed grains or pasta. Anything goes here because this stew is made from very simple flavours.
What Are Butter Beans?
If you’re wondering what butter beans are then you wouldn’t be the first. These beans also come under the term LIMA BEANS, depending on where you come form.
The creamy butter bean comes from South America and is used in many of the local cuisines. It soaks up flavours and is a rich source of inexpensive nutrition and PROTEIN. You do not need to eat meat alongside these beans as they already contain all the amino acids you need, especially when eaten alongside some brown rice or quinoa.
Butterbean Benefits:-
Butter beans can be bought dried or canned/vacuum packed for convenience. The canned versions may contain a lot more sodium and other added preservatives so always check your labels, especially if you need to watch your salt intake.
If you go to the effort of soaking and boiling your own beans, you will find them to be far fresher and superior tasting than the canned. Soaking and preparing your own beans is also more cost effective than buying them pre prepared, and is something to think about if you’re on a tight budget.
You can also take control of added sodium when you make your beans from scratch, as with all pulses.
- Butter beans are a rich source of magnesium, potassium, folate, iron, zinc, calcium and protein.
- This protein rich bean is great weight loss aid due to its high fibre content. You’re going to feel fuller for longer when you eat high fibre foods, which will ultimately help you to lose weight.
- Butter beans can help improve heart health and high blood pressure due to their potassium and high fibre content.
- These beans can help prevent anaemia due to high iron content.
- Great for diabetics due to being low on the glycemic index scale and one of the many low GI foods.
Swiss Chard Benefits:-
Swiss chard is a member of the Amaranthaceae botanical family. Other members of this family of vegetables and seeds are beetroot, amaranth, spinach and quinoa.
This green, leafy vegetable is mild tasting and very versatile. You can mix it into soups, stews and curries a few minutes before serving and it will cook really fast. There is no need to over-cook this vegetable as it takes only minutes to soften.
Other uses for your mild tasting Swiss chard is in a delicious, green fat burning smoothie. Start you day with one of these and you’ll feel the exceptional energy boost from all those amazing vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
- Swiss Chard is a great source of vitamins A, K, C and magnesium. Plus the antioxidants beta carotene and zeaxanthin which help protect your body from free radicals and certain diseases.
- This delicious vegetable is also high fibre and satiating, thus helping you to lose weight and keep blood sugar under control.
- Greens in general are heart healthy and high in antioxidants of lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene.
- The colourful rainbow chard has more antioxidants than regular chard, simply due to those bright colours.
Spanish Butterbean & Swiss Chard Stew In 20 Minutes!
Equipment
- Chopping board
- Chopping knife
- Frying pan or large pot
Ingredients
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 2 cans butter beans
- 1 cans chopped tomatoes
- 3 cups spinach or Swiss chard thinly sliced. (you can also sub this with spinach or kale).
- 3-4 cloves crushed garlic
- 2 tsp rosemary fresh or dried
- 2 tsp parsley fresh or dried. If using fresh then you will need a whole handful.
- 1 cup vegetable stock or veggie bouillon
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Seasoning of salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Rice, quinoa or pasta to serve Or, eat alone if you are not too hungry.
Instructions
- Finely slice your onion and fry in a little water until translucent with your crushed garlic. Keep adding small amounts of hot water as you fry to prevent drying. It's good to keep a kettle of already boiled water next to you so you don't have to use cold. Try to get some browning and caramelisation going for a better flavour.
- Once your garlic and onions are cooked, add your tomato paste, herbs and seasoning and fry out for one more minute.
- Now add your tomatoes, stock, Swiss chard and butter beans and simmer for 10 minutes until reduced to desired consistency.
- Serve with rice, pasta, quinoa, baked potato, bread or some grains.
Video
Notes
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