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Potaje de berros
Watercress and bean stew
Potaje de berros: Canarian watercress stew with beans, potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin and corn
Watercress grows wild in the irrigation channels and ravines of Tenerife and La Palma, and in the cool months it goes into potaje de berros, a thick, green, cumin-scented stew that islanders eat by the bowlful with a spoon of gofio stirred in. It is a cheap, filling family supper, and a good one to make ahead. Pork ribs or belly often go in for flavour; this version leaves them out and is vegan, relying on garlic, cumin and paprika instead. Chef's tip: cook the watercress for most of the time, not just at the end, so it collapses into the broth and gives the stew its earthy depth.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 4 cloves garlicchopped
- 1 ripe tomatograted
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 7 ½ cups water
- 10 ½ oz watercressthick stems removed, chopped
- 14 oz cooked white or pinto beansdrained
- 14 oz potatoespeeled, in chunks
- 10 ½ oz sweet potatopeeled, in chunks
- 10 ½ oz pumpkin or squashpeeled, in chunks
- 2 corn cobseach cut into 3 rounds
- 2 tsp salt
To serve
- 6 tbsp gofio (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the 4 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Cook the 1 onion for 8 minutes until soft, add the 4 cloves garlic and 1 ripe tomato and cook for 4 minutes until thick. Take off the heat for a moment and stir in the 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp sweet paprika.
12 minStep 2: Add the 7 ½ cups water, 1 pinch saffron threads, 2 corn cobs and 10 ½ oz watercress and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until the watercress is dark and very soft.
22 minStep 3: Add the 14 oz potatoes, 10 ½ oz sweet potato, 10 ½ oz pumpkin or squash, 14 oz cooked white or pinto beans and 2 tsp salt and simmer for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the pumpkin starts to fall apart.
25 minStep 4: Crush a few potato and pumpkin pieces against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the stew. A common mistake is adding the pumpkin too early; it vanishes completely instead of thickening and leaving soft chunks.
2 minStep 5: Taste for salt and serve hot in deep bowls, with a spoonful of 6 tbsp gofio to stir in if you like.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 11 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does potaje de berros take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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