Shrimp and White Bean Stew with Garlic Toast

Shrimp go from raw to perfect in about ninety seconds and from perfect to rubber in another sixty. That is the whole skill here. Everything else in this pot is forgiving.

Frozen raw shrimp are ideal — better value than the fresh counter and usually frozen fresher.

Why this one is iodine-rich

Shellfish is a strong iodine source, shrimp included, and it delivers it in a small, fast-cooking portion. The stew around it does the rest of the nutritional work, so you get a properly filling dinner from half a pound of protein.

Ingredients

Serves 2 generously.

• 1/2 lb raw peeled shrimp, thawed and patted dry
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini or butter beans, drained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves — 2 sliced, 2 halved
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the toast
• 3/4 cup fish or vegetable broth
• Large handful of spinach
• 2 thick slices sourdough
• Parsley and lemon, to finish

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan. Soften the onion for 6 minutes with a pinch of salt, then add the sliced garlic, paprika and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Add the tomatoes and broth. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken and lose the canned edge.
3. Stir in the beans and warm through for 3 minutes. Crush a few against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce.
4. Toast the sourdough, rub each slice hard with a cut garlic half, and drizzle with oil.
5. Season the stew, then add the shrimp and spinach. Cook for 2–3 minutes, just until the shrimp turn opaque and curl into a loose C. A tight O means they are overdone.
6. Squeeze over lemon, scatter parsley, and serve with the toast for scooping.

Notes and swaps

• Other shellfish. Mussels, clams or squid all work and all bring iodine. Adjust the timing.
• Vegetarian. Skip the shrimp, double the beans and add a sheet of torn toasted nori at the end for the iodine.
• Don't skip drying the shrimp. Wet shrimp steam instead of searing and release water into the sauce.

Common questions

Is shellfish high in cholesterol a concern?
Current dietary guidance treats dietary cholesterol as far less significant than it was once thought to be, but if you have been given specific advice by a clinician, follow that rather than a recipe note.

Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?
You can, but add them off the heat at the very end — they only need warming, and they toughen quickly.

The food-first habit

A bag of shrimp in the freezer is a dinner you can always make. If you have been using Lugol's Iodine while getting your intake up, keeping shellfish in rotation is one of the simplest ways to hold it.

Recipes are published for general interest and are not medical or dietary advice. Iodine requirements vary from person to person, and iodine has an upper limit as well as a recommended intake. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking thyroid medication or managing a thyroid condition, speak to your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your iodine intake. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.