I’ve made this hearty one-pot bean stew several times ever since I found the recipe in Bon Appétit last year.
It’s flavourful and filling, teaming with tomatoes, olive oil and lots of garlic, and a bit of ginger for heat.

I love it scooped over rice or thick slices of bread, or served alongside roasted potatoes, pasta or fried plantains.

I love beans, they’re a good source of protein, inexpensive and versatile – did I mention how easy it is to make this particular dish?

I save it for days when I don’t really feel like cooking, because all that is involved is dumping the ingredients into a large pot, bring to a boil, lower and let simmer for a while.
For someone who has literally spent whole Sundays making elaborate bean stews, this is quite a feat.

A little note on this recipe – I’ve ever so slightly adapted the original recipe, I used vegetable stock and a herb bouillon cube to boost the flavour, additionally, I added ginger for warmth.

I’ve also experimented with black beans and black-eyed peas in the past to great success; I’ve subbed virgin red palm oil for olive oil before and this has worked well too.
This recipe can be modified in so many delicious ways, once you get a hang of it.

I could go on and on about how simple yet awesome these beans are, but I think I’ll just let the recipe speak for itself.

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Stewed Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic

From August 2012 Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb. borlotti (cranberry) beans dried or frozen (soaked overnight if dried)
• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 8 large (or 16 small) fresh sage leaves
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube (I used Harvest Sun Herb Bouillon)
• 1/2 cup (or more) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 – 5 cups of vegetable stock or water
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine beans, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, sage leaves, bouillon cube and olive oil in a pot
2. Add vegetable stock (or water) to cover by 1″ (about 2 1/2 cups)
3. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partly covered and adding water by 1/4-cupfuls as needed to keep beans submerged, until tender, 35 – 45 minutes for fresh or frozen and up to 1 1/2 hours for dried. Skim any foam from the surface
4. Season with salt, pepper, and more oil, if desired
5. Serve warm as a side or part of a main dish
6. Enjoy!
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Tags: beans, dinner, recipes