Butter beans and Kalamata olives make this hearty stew a memorable one. My daughter, Chloe, really enjoys butter beans, though I haven’t figured out if she loves them just based on the name or if it’s due to the taste. This is the kid who asked Santa Claus for butter…and he delivered with a stick of butter shaped like a Christmas tree (Thank you Sprouts!) In any case, butter beans are soft, tender and, yes, buttery. You could use kidney beans in this recipe instead, but butter beans are so awesome why would you want to?
It’s important to season the pork well before browning it, so get crazy with the seasoning. Remember that it’s going into a big pot of soup so the flavor won’t be overwhelming once it’s swimming in broth with the other ingredients. You could certainly play around with the protein used in this stew – next time I plan on using good ’ol chicken breast. And it’s also possible to omit the meat if you’d rather dig into a lighter comforting bowl.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
8 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed, cubed and seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and dried oregano
¼ cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 vine-ripened tomato, seeded and diced
¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 (15 oz) can butter beans, drained and rinsed
1½ teaspoons sea salt
black pepper, to taste
Place the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the pork and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with wine, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until the wine is nearly evaporated. Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, tomato, and olives. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and beans until the spinach is wilted and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Calories: 123
Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 9g
Sodium: 1134mg
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 12g
Sugar: 3g