Bean Stew with Herb Dumplings Ingredients

• 425 g/15 oz canned cooked red kidney beans, drained
• 425 g/15 oz canned cooked haricot beans, drained
• 400 g/14 oz canned chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• 200 g/7 oz canned sweetcorn kernels, drained
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 300 ml/10 fl oz vegetable stock
• 275 g/10 oz green beans, topped and tailed, cut into lengths
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to serve
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the herb dumplings:

• 100 g/4 oz self-raising flour
• 25 g/1 oz butter
• 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs

Bean Stew with Herb Dumplings Recipe

4 Servings

Put the kidney and haricot beans in a large heavy saucepan or flameproof casserole dish. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, sweetcorn, garlic and bay leaf, and stir to mix through evenly.

Pour in the stock, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour into a bowl with a little salt and pepper. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. Stir in the herbs. Mix with just enough cold water to form a soft but not too sticky dough.

Add the green beans to the vegetable mixture. Shape the dough into eight round balls, and carefully drop into the top of the stew. Cover and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until the dumplings are fluffy and risen.

To serve, discard the bay leaf. Sprinkle the stew with the parsley, and serve hot, allowing two dumpling for each serving.