Stew is often thought of as a winter dish, with a steaming bowl of it making for a perfect evening meal on cold nights, but it also makes for an ideal dish during the transition between spring and summer. While the days might be warming up, evenings are still slightly chilly, and tucking into a comforting bowl of stew can be a nutritious and filling weeknight dinner made easily at home with a few cupboard ingredients.
While a traditional beef stew might be slightly too heavy for a spring night, switching to lighter and seasonal ingredients transforms stew into a more summery dish. Lighter meats like chicken are particularly good as the weather warms up, paired well with seasonal greens and beans. It’s also a great way to make enough food for the entire family, or to keep for a few days in the fridge if you want to prepare meals ahead of the week. With this in mind, award-winning home cook Lauren Leyva has shared a recipe for a white bean and chicken meatball stew that is “so good for you and will keep you so full”.
Sharing budget-friendly meals on her Instagram account, @laurenleyva shared that the recipe only cost her £9.36 to make, which works out at £1.56 per portion, using a few items she already had to hand, including olive oil and stock cubes.
The recipe also calls for miso paste, a fermented soybean paste known for its rich, umami flavour. While the stew only requires a tablespoon and a half of the paste, it can easily be added to a number of other dishes, from pasta to soups and even eggs, making it a handy addition to cooking.
Lauren also makes the meatballs herself using chicken mince and cooks them in the air fryer. But you could buy a pack of pre-made chicken meatballs to make this recipe even simpler and time-efficient. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can roast the meatballs in the oven instead.
Method:
To make the meatballs, add the chicken mince, one teaspoon of paprika, salt and pepper, the egg and a tablespoon of parsley along with the breadcrumbs to a large mixing bowl. Use your hand to combine, or a wooden spoon if you prefer.
On a well-floured surface, roll the mixture into even-sized meatballs until they’re coated in flour. Set the meatballs aside on a tray and chill them in the freezer for 15 minutes. Prepare your vegetables for the stew.
To make the stew, add a glug of olive oil to a large saucepan over a low heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic. Fry for a five minutes or so until soft, then add one teaspoon of paprika along with the boiling water and butter beans. After adding the beans, add the stock cubes, miso paste and season with pepper. Bring to a boil and leave it to simmer for 15 minutes.
While this is simmering, air fry your meatballs for 10 to 12 minutes until golden, or roast them in the oven. A few minutes before the simmering is done, add the remaining chopped parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix through and once finished, serve with the meatballs.
