Bean Stew with Fennel and Tomatoes

• 1 pound white kidney beans, dried dried, rinsed, prefer cannellini
• 4 cups vegetable stock or stock
• 1 each bay leaves
• 6 each garlic cloves unpeeled, crushed slightly
• 2 large fennel bulb
• 1/2-23 cups olive oil, extra-virgin
• 5 cups tomatoes peeled, seeded, chopped, with juice fresh or canned
• 1 cup parsley leaves chopped fresh
• 1 each lemon juiced
• 1 x salt
• 1 x black pepper freshly ground

1. Soak beans in a large bowl of water to cover for several hours or overnight.
2. Drain.
3. Place soaked beans into a pot with stock or broth and enough water to cover by 2 inches.
4. Add bay leaf and whole garlic cloves.
5. Heat to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender (about 45 minutes).
6. (The beans should be softer than al dente but not cooked to the point where they begin to disintegrate.)
7. Meanwhile, cut stalks off fennel bulb.
8. Chop the feathery leaves and reserve.
9. Trim off root end of the bulbs; cut bulbs in half lengthwise and slice thinly.
10. There should be about 8 cups of fennel slices.
11. Discard stalks or save for soup.
12. Add tomato to fennel; cook 5 or 6 minutes.
13. Discard garlic and bay leaf from beans; drain beans.
14. Add beans to the skillet, tossing gently to combine all the ingredients.
15. Add parsley and chopped fennel leaves.

kidney beans, vegetable stock, bay leaves, garlic, fennel bulb, olive oil, tomatoes, parsley, lemon juiced, salt, black pepper

Taken from recipeland.com/recipe/v/bean-stew-fennel-tomatoes-4476 (may not work)