White bean stew with burdock

At the grocery store the other day, the produce guy was bailing out stalks and stalks of burdock which was on sale. I bought several stalks because I just can't resist a freshly stacked pile of anything that might be good. I got home and unloaded the burdock on the counter and realised I had no idea what to do with this root vegetable.

I've heard of burdock before. I knew it was used in Chinese cooking and I've probably had it when my mum makes her herbal concoctions for me, but I've never cooked with it before. A quick look on wikipedia revealed that burdock has many medicinal properties and is widely used in Asian cooking.

The most obvious solution for me was to put it in a stew and it worked out well. The burdock gave my stew an Asian flair and added sweetness to the broth. Great served on a cold day with a big piece of crusty bread.

White Bean Stew with Burdock Recipe

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• 1 cup of white beans
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 small potato, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 cup of leek, sliced
• 1 cup burdock, diced
• 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
• 3-4 cups of stock
• Toasted pine nuts to garnish (or you could use grated cheese)

Seasoning and oils

• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp ghee (optional)
• crushed red pepper flakes for garnishing
  
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. The night before, soak white beans in a bowl of lukewarm water overnight.
   
2. In a soup pot, heat oil over medium low heat and saute onions until slightly translucent. Add diced potatoes and ginger. Continue to cook until onions have caramalized and potatoes are browned.
3. Add soaked white beans, carrots, leek, burdock and give a good stir. Then add stock, bay leaf and some salt and pepper . Cover pot and let it simmer until beans are tender. About 1 - 1.5 hours.
4. When beans are about done, add cabbage and check the seasoning. Allow to simmer for 15 more mins. Turn off heat and let the stew rest for about 20 mins before serving.

Serves 2 - 4 people