Vegetarian mains
Aromatic leeks, butterbeans & cime di rapa
Cime di rapa is a great veg – prized in Italy, it’s not used that much in the UK, but we love it for it’s feathery leaves and great flavour. It translates as ‘turnips greens’ (stay with us!). The stalks take just a little longer than the leaves to cook, and are good with a little bite to them. In this recipe, it’s served with an aromatic ginger, lemon and miso butterbean and leek mix, with some brown rice for mopping up any juices.
Ingredients
- 125g brown basmati rice
- 2 leeks
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small piece of ginger
- 1 lemon
- 1 chilli – add to taste
- 300g Cime di rapa
- 1 x 400g tin butterbeans
- 1 tsp bouillon powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 125ml yogurt
- 15g parsley
- 2 tbsp sweet white miso
Method
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Step 1
Cook the rice for approx. 20 minutes, until tender with a little bite.
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Step 2
Trim and halve the leeks, lengthways, then chop into thin strips - on the diagonal looks good. Peel and thinly slice the garlic into thin slivers.
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Step 3
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan. Start gently frying the leeks, stirring now and then, while you continue. You want them to soften, but not catch and colour, as they taste bitter; add a splash of water if they look like doing so.
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Step 4
Peel and finely grate the ginger. Finely zest 1 good tsp of the lemon – about half. Chop the chilli into rings.
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Step 5
Roughly chop the bulk of cime di rapa leaves from the leafier parts. Roughly chop the stalks. Drain the butterbeans.
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Step 6
Into the leeks, stir the ginger, lemon zest and bouillon. Add 200ml of leftover warm water from the kettle. Stir in the butterbeans. Simmer for 5 minutes, while you continue. If it looks like getting too dry, add a splash more water.
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Step 7
Stir the turmeric into the yogurt. Chop the parsley leaves.
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Step 8
Drain the cooked rice. Return it to the pan and cover it to keep it warm.
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Step 9
Keep simmering the butterbeans, while you fry the cime di rapa:
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Step 10
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan (medium heat). Add the garlic slivers. Let them bubble and turn a nice golden colour (not too dark, i.e. burnt!). Add the cime di rapa stalks and chilli. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the leaves. Stir until they have just wilted down. Remove from the heat. Season to taste.
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Step 11
Stir the miso into the butterbeans, season (lightly with salt, if at all, as the miso is quite salty) then add lemon juice to taste. Stir in half the parsley.
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Step 12
Serve the butterbeans with the rice and cime di rapa, with the turmeric yogurt for drizzling. Sprinkle over the remaining parsley to finish and, if you like, more freshly grated lemon zest.