Steve Sando's Basque-style bean and kale stew is the perfect thing to make on a cool, crisp evening

This Basque-style stew from bean expert and Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando is the perfect accompaniment to crisp evenings. Made with a generous amount of black beans, kale and ham, it’s a hearty meal that also showcases the magic of cooking legumes from scratch.

"When you cook from dried," he told CBC Life, "the bean liquid is almost like free soup, adding a rich, delicious ingredient [that's] loaded with protein." For Sando, canned beans really can't compare. 

The greens are interchangeable, however. “Beans are easy and forgiving, so I let the vegetables already in my fridge dictate what I’ll do,” he said. He suggests trying broccoli rabe, which is “bitter, nutty and sweet all at the same time” or Swiss chard for a different but “equally delicious” flavour.

Read on to learn how to make this comforting stew from Sando’s new cookbook, The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans. 

Basque-style bean and kale stew

By Steve Sando

A recipe from the UK paper The Guardian, by Spanish chef José Pizarro, caught our eye: a traditional Basque stew using Tolosa beans, which are famous and somewhat wonderful. A runner bean like ayocote negro would be close, but not quite. We decided to try the stew with our Chiapas Black beans, and friends, it was something! We’ve modified the recipe to make it our own, and it’s a keeper. We hope our Basque friends will like our version too.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large leek, white and light green parts, trimmed and finely sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• A few sprigs each fresh thyme and oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tsp Spanish pimentón (smoked paprika)
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 to 3 cups cooked, drained Negras de Tolosa, Rancho Gordo Chiapas Black beans or Black Garbanzo beans, or any other dried black beans, plus about 1 cup bean broth reserved
• 2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• Salt
• 1 small bunch Tuscan kale (cavolo nero) or curly kale, thick stalks removed and leaves shredded
• ¾ cup shredded smoked ham hock
• 2 tsp pineapple vinegar or sherry vinegar
• Freshly ground pepper

Preparation

In a large pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and leek and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, garlic, pimentón, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for a few minutes more. Add the wine, increase the heat, and cook until reduced by about half.

Add the beans, bean broth, and chicken broth. Decrease the heat, season generously with salt, and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the juices have reduced and thickened.

Add the kale, cover the pot, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, just to wilt the greens. Stir in the shredded ham and pineapple vinegar and cook to heat through. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a scattering of red pepper flakes (if desired), and a good grind of pepper.

Variation: Vegetarian bean and kale stew 

The pork is essential for a more traditional dish, but replacing it with ¾ cup cooked, seasoned tofu cubes would be delicious.

Makes 4–6 servings

Reprinted with permission from The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen by Steve Sando with Julia Newberry, copyright © 2024. Photographs copyright © 2024 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.