Dear reader, how are you!? How’s it hanging? It’s beginning to look A LOT like Christmas, my favorite time of year and you bet I’m busy baking cookies and watching Elf on repeat. After throwing out my back and having an awful week as a result of that, I am back and better than baby! alright chill, girl. What better way to celebrate than to make a comforting Doenjang Beans and Greens Stew and watch a holiday classic? If you’re not ready to get into the Christmas spirit quite yet, that’s alright, I have a great recommendation for ya!
A quick podcast recommendation
Before we talk about stew, I have a great podcast recommendation that no one asked for, but I’m sharing anyway – just give it a listen and thank me later.
If you enjoy listening to podcasts and if you also like pop culture, juicy celebrity blind items and conspiracy theories, there is a podcast out there that’s perfect for you!
It’s called FluentlyForward and the host, Shannon McNamara, is a smart, funny and charismatic storyteller. She dives into celebrity gossip and blind items in a way that makes you feel like you’re just catching up with a friend. It’s oftentimes lighthearted and purely for entertainment, but every once in a while Shannon tackles more serious subjects.
She did a very thorough episode on Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and oh my, the whole thing is wild and infuriating. I’m absolutely hooked and you’ll be too!
Okay, now let’s talk Beans and Greens Stew.
Doenjang Beans and Greens Stew
Now let’s circle back to my original point about Christmas, such cozy times Christmastime, and what else is cozy and nice? A big bowl of stew! Amirite?
I love soups and stews, and they don’t need to be boring or bland. This one is an adapted version from New York Times Cooking. Despite the lack of protein, this is a very hearty, healthy stew. It has different textures, different flavors, an umami-rich base and it’s high in fiber (hello beans!).
And it’s wonderfully quick to make. Aside from some minor chopping, all you have to do is throw everything in a pot and let it simmer until nice and thick.
If you can, using dry beans is always recommendable over canned ones. You can soak a good amount of beans overnight, cook the next day, and keep them in portioned out containers in the freezer. But of course, store-bought canned beans are even easier than that and all we want for a weeknight dinner is something effortless and quick. I guess there’s nothing quicker than opening a can of beans.
The vegetables are easily customizable, so you can use what you have in the fridge. Kale, spinach, mustard or radish greens, napa cabbage or broccoli rabe would work great here.
The Swiss chard adds a nice earthy flavor on top of being an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin K and a good source of vitamin C and magnesium (it also contains antioxidants). Sautéing the onion until brown and caramelised adds a deep, complex flavor to the base.
But the real star here is one that offers an interesting, funky saltiness to the stew:
A Korean touch
Doenjang is a Korean fermented soybean paste. It’s not as popular as miso, but both add a salty, umami kick to East Asian foods.
Doenjang is a staple in traditional Korean cuisine and is used as a base for a lot of soups and stews. You can find it in any Asian supermarket – it’s often labeled soybean paste, but if you can’t find it, miso is a great substitute.
Compared to Doenjang, miso has a much gentler flavor, so you should adjust the quantities accordingly. Both ingredients are l flavor boosters, but Doenjang has a much saltier, funkier flavor than miso, therefore used in smaller quantities.
To accompany this stew, make sure to have some nice crusty bread to mop up all those strong flavors with. For this one, I toasted my slices in some sage brown butter and it’s a great little way to impart more flavors. Finish your stew with a generous grating of parmesan cheese for the ultimate umami-rich dish.
If you make this Doenjang Beans and Greens Stew please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I’d love to hear from you and I love responding to each and every comment. And if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your photos.
Ingredients
1/2 bunch Swiss chard
1 red onion
2 carrots
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp doenjang
2 tsp honey
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups vegetable stock
4 slices crusty bread
2 tbsp butter
4 sprigs sage
grated parmesan, for serving
salt and black pepper
Directions
Prepare the ingredients: roughly chop the chard, thinly slice the onion and slice the carrots.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in carrots.
Stir in red pepper flakes and doenjang.
Add in honey and cook for another minute.
Add the beans and soy sauce, stirring to coat evenly. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender and broth has thickened, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the chard and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt, red pepper flakes and doenjang as desired.
Meanwhile prepare the bread: Heat the butter in skillet over medium. Add fresh sage leaves and cook until sage is crispy and butter begins to brown in bits on the bottom of the pan. Add bread and cook, flipping once until toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Serve stew with toast, grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
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