Beans in sherried tomato sauce

Vegetarian recipe for beans with sherry vinegar

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: sherry vinegar, tomato sauce, White Beans,

Servings: people

Calories: 220kcal

Author: Joe Woodhouse

2 tbsp neutral oil groundnut or sunflower
2 onions roughly diced
3 carrots roughly diced
5 garlic cloves roughly chopped
2 400g cans plum tomatoes or 8 fresh tomatoes roughly diced
200 grams dry white beans, soaked and cooked or 500g canned beans (cannellini, haricot or coco)
3 tbsp best quality sherry vinegar
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
sea salt flakes and black pepper
For crisp breads
6 tbsp olive oil
1 large baguette or slender loaf finely sliced

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Gas mark 4.
Using a few large, flat baking trays (or work in batches if you only have one), drizzle some live oil and lay the sliced bread, evenly spaced, in a single layer. Use the rest of the oil to rub the sliced of bread on both side. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and crisp. Turn them half way.
In the meantime get on with making the beans. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and sweat the onions, carrots and garlic with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes, until soft.
Add the tomatoes, prod them with a spatula or wooden spoon to break them up. Add a can full of water. Cook for 25 minutes until the sauce is reduced but not too dry. Top up with a bit of water if it looks dry.
Blend the contents of the pan until smooth and return to the pan. Add the cooked beans and allow to simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add water if needed, the consistency should be that of a loose sauce. Season.
Add the sherry vinegar to taste. You are looking for a sharp, sweet tang of the vinegar as the backbone to the sauce.
Serve the beans drizzled with extra virgin olive oil along with the crisp breads broken over the top.