White Bean Stew

1-1/2 cups cannellini/lima/great northern beans
2 bay leaves – cook with beans
1 teaspoon rosemary
4 mushrooms, roughly chopped
¼ fennel bulb, chopped
½ onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
1 bouillon cube (if you have it; add extra herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage if you don’t have stock or bouillon)
1 to 1-1/2 cups water
Olive oil

Soak beans, then cook for 80 minutes, with enough water to cover, more added as necessary; intent is to have minimal broth left over

When beans are almost done cooking, sauté onion in 1 tablespoon oil for five minutes; add fennel and sauté for another three minutes; add garlic, sauté for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and salt, turn heat to medium, and cover; let cook for about 10 minutes, checking mushrooms to make sure they don’t burn/stick too much. Then add the rosemary, other bay leaf, bouillon cube and water. Start with one cup of water; you may need to add more once you add the beans if they are not covered by a little bit of water. Let simmer on medium heat, uncovered, for another ten minutes. Wash some dishes while you wait.

Once the beans are done, around the time the mushroom sauce has cooked down a little, add them to the mushrooms. If the beans are not covered by a little water, add water until covered. Let simmer for 20 minutes, until some water has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper until it tastes good to you.

Eat with fresh bread.