This is a proper winter warmer; even better, it’s a 30-minute dinner. The tomatoes break down into a wonderful sauce for the rosemary-spiked beans and kale, and the thing that elevates it from nice to something special is the quick homemade pesto, which you can whip up while the cassoulet is cooking. Purists, look away – I use cheddar instead of parmesan, and the results are spectacular, with a real hit of umami. Use whatever nuts you have to hand, but the basil and mint are a must.
Pesto-topped white bean, kale and tomato cassoulet
Prep 10 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 big garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 x 700g jar haricot beans (or 2 x 400g tins haricot beans), drained and rinsed
150g kale (or cavolo nero), tough stalks discarded, leaves shredded
Juice of ½ lemon, plus 1½ tbsp extra for the pesto
Sea salt flakes
For the pesto
15g basil leaves
10g mint leaves
40g pine nuts, cashew nuts or hazelnuts
80ml olive oil
40g mature cheddar, grated
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large, shallow casserole dish or wide, deep-sided frying pan, add the onion, garlic and rosemary, and cook on a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened. Add the tomatoes, beans and kale, stir-fry on a medium heat for five minutes to start softening the kale, then cover, turn down the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the pesto. Tip the herbs, nuts, olive oil and cheddar into a high-speed blender or food processor, blitz fairly smooth, then add a tablespoon and a half of lemon juice and sea salt to taste.
Once the cassoulet is ready, taste, season with the juice of half a lemon and a sprinkle of salt, and serve hot in deep bowls topped with the pesto.
