Marry Me Beans
My Marry Me spin-off is vegetable forward and happens to be vegan, both wins in my kitchen and among friends. Semi-dried tomatoes are still the star, but I’ve switched rich dairy cream for an equally lush white bean sauce. Simply blend drained cannellini beans with a plant milk of your choice and let the natural starch do the rest. Creamy oat milk is a staple in my fridge, while almond adds a subtle nuttiness to the sauce. Topped with finger-torn basil and grated parmesan (cashew cheese if you’re vegan), this bowl of protein and fibre rich beans is filling and perfect solo, but feel free to toss it through some al dente wholemeal pasta for a carb loaded fix.
- dinner, main course, comfort food, one pot cooking
- vegetarian, contemporary, healthy food, vegetable forward, seasonal cooking, pantry staples, comfort food, one pot cooking
- quick, easy, family friendly, beans, cannellini beans, protein, fibre, fridge storage, freezer storage, vegetable forward, healthy, homemade, pantry staples, cooking ahead, comfort food, semi-dried tomatoes, white bean sauce
- My Marry Me spin-off is vegetable forward and happens to be vegan, both wins in my kitchen and among friends.
Recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 x 400g tinned cannellini beans
- drained and rinsed
- 500ml unsweetened oat milk
- 4 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
- 1 medium (200g) onion
- finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon iodised table salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- freshly cracked
- 8 garlic cloves
- finely sliced
- 6 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- 4 x 400g tinned cannellini beans
- drained and rinsed
- 200g semi-dried tomatoes
- roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- dried
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- dried
- 1 lemon
- 60g baby spinach
Dish up with
Fresh basil
Grated parmesan or Vegan cashew cheese
Method
Make bean sauce
Let’s start with the White Bean Sauce. Place the cannellini beans and oat milk in a jug and using a stick blender, blend until smooth. Set aside for later.
Saute onions
Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Drizzle in some herby semi-dried tomato oil, if you like (I do). Add the onions along with a big pinch of salt and black pepper (season in layers) and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 10 - 15 minutes.
Saute garlic, tomato pate and spices
Add the sliced garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika and chilli flakes and cook, stirring for a further 2 minutes. Don’t rush this step. Cooking the tomato paste, paprika and chilli until dark, gives the dish its distinctive red colour. If the tomato paste starts for catch (burn) add a big splash of water and scrap the pan to deglaze it.
Add beans, tomatoes and simmer
Add the cannellini beans along with the semi-dried tomatoes, the dried herbs, the reserved white bean sauce and 250ml water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and bubble away for 25 - 30 minutes, until thickened.
Scrape bean fond
Use a wooden spoon to smoosh the beans a bit, this releases starch and will help thicken the sauce some more. Scrape the bottom of the pan too, the dark caramelised bits (bean fond) deepen the flavour. In a tomato based sauce this is called umami.
Season beans
Add a good squeeze of lemon juice (the acidity brightens the tomato)along with the spinach and stir through until the leaves are wilted. Taste the beans before adding more salt, remembering the seasoning at the beginning.
Dish up
Spoon into bowls and top with fresh basil and grated parmesan.
Storage + Leftovers
Marry Me Beans are even better the next day and can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge. Eat warmed up leftovers wrapped up in a wholemeal salad wrap for a high protein lunch, spooned over toasted sourdough or with a couple of nice jammy eggs.