Herby Cannellini Bean Stew With Roasted Mushrooms And Ciabatta

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7

Slice the chestnut mushrooms finely and strip the thyme leaves from their stems

Add the sliced mushrooms to a tin foil-lined baking tray with the thyme leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt

Give everything a good mix up and put the tray in the oven for 15-20 min or until the mushrooms are crisp

Chop the leek[s] in half lengthways, wash thoroughly to remove any grit then top, tail and slice finely

Top, tail, peel and finely dice the carrot[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

Boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the sliced leek and diced carrot and cook for 5-6 min or until softened

Meanwhile, dissolve the vegetable stock mix and soft cheese in 400ml [800ml] boiled water – this is your creamy stock

Drain and rinse the cannellini beans

Strip the rosemary leaves from their stems and chop them roughly, discard the stems

Tip: Hold the top of the rosemary sprigs firmly and slide your fingers down their lengths to easily remove the leaves

Add the drained cannellini beans, chopped rosemary and half the chopped garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 min until fragrant, then add 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] flour and cook for a further 1 min

Add the creamy stock to the pan with a generous grind of black pepper and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5-6 min or until the vegetables are tender and the stock has thickened to a stew-like consistency – this is your herby cannellini bean stew

Meanwhile, chop the basil finely, including the stalks

Grind the chopped basil and remaining chopped garlic with a pinch of salt in a pestle & mortar to form a paste

Add 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] olive oil and mix well – this is your basil oil

Tip: No pestle and mortar? Chop everything up as finely as you can and mix it together!

Put the ciabattas in the oven for 5 min or until they're hot and crusty

Carefully slice them in half before serving

Wash, the spring greens then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Rip the leaves off the spring greens, discard the tough stalks, then layer the leaves over each other, roll them up and slice into thin strips

Add the sliced spring greens to the herby cannellini bean stew and cook for 3-4 min or until the spring greens are tender with a bite