Vegetable stews are such great comfort food, hearty and healthy all in one go, and this slow-cooker recipe is a little bit special. The combo of mellow butterbeans and punchy kimchi make for a killer combo - the kimchi may seem like an odd addition, but it adds a lovely depth of flavour with a subtle tang and, as an added bonus, is great for maintaining good gut health.
We've served this tasty stew with homemade spelt flatbreads - perfect for mopping up all the juices at the end - but you could totally have it with crusty bread or warm naan instead.
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Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
4 hrs 15 mins
Total Time:
4 hrs 30 mins
Cal/Serv:
451
Ingredients
For the stew
1Tbsp.
olive oil
2
onions, finely sliced
2
garlic cloves, crushed
1tsp.
dried chilli flakes, plus optional extra to sprinkle
400g
orange tomatoes, halved
150g
kimchi
2
x 400g tins butter beans
For the flatbreads
250g
white spelt flour
1tsp.
baking powder
175g
natural yogurt
Directions
Step 1For the stew, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 10min, until softened. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 2min, until fragrant.
Step 2Scrape into the bowl of a slow cooker (see GH TIPs below) and stir in the tomatoes, kimchi and plenty of seasoning. Add the contents of 1 of the butterbean tins (liquid and all), then drain the second tin and add just the beans. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4hr, or until the tomatoes have broken down.
Step 3About 30min before the stew is due to be ready, make the flatbreads. In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder and 1/2tsp fine salt. Add the yogurt and stir to make a soft dough. Tip out on to a worksurface and knead for a couple of min until smooth. Cover with the upturned empty bowl and leave to rest for 10min.
Step 4Divide the dough into 4 and roll each piece into an oval, about 5mm thick. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat (no oil needed) and fry the flatbreads, in batches if needed, for 2-3min per side, or until slightly puffed and with golden flecks. Wrap in a clean tea towel (to keep warm) whilst you cook the remaining flatbreads, if needed.
Step 5Remove the lid from the slow cooker and turn off. Roughly mash the stew and check seasoning. Transfer to a large serving bowl and sprinkle over some extra chilli flakes, if you like. Serve with the flatbreads.
Is this recipe suitable for vegetarians? Yes - with one caveat! Check the ingredients list on your kimchi. Most varieties sold in large stores are vegetarian-friendly, but more traditional recipes might not be. Check before buying/using.
No slow cooker? No problem. If you don’t have a slow cooker, simply complete steps 1-2 in a large, deep frying pan (that has a lid) and simmer, covered, for 30min. Complete recipe to serve.
I can't find orange tomatoes, what do I do? You can opt to use an heirloom mix instead, or regular red tomatoes - just make sure they're nice and ripe as you need their sweetness as well as acidity for this stew.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
Alice Shields is Senior Cookery Writer for Good Housekeeping. A trained pastry chef, you’ll find her food styling on photo shoots, developing delicious recipes and writing about all things food. She loves to bake and her favourite pudding will always be a chocolate fondant. Originally hailing from Lancashire, she finally achieved her goal of getting a butter pie recipe into the magazine.
