Bean Ragout Recipes

SHELL BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the shell beans, onion, crushed garlic clove, bouquet garni and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard onion and garlic clove.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and add leeks and celery. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes, and stir in minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Stir leek and tomato mixture into beans, along with summer squash. Bring back to a simmer and cook 15 minutes, until beans are creamy-tender but intact and the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove bouquet garni.
• Ladle ragout into wide bowls. Top each serving with a generous sprinkling of slivered basil leaves and a spoonful of Parmesan.

WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a 10-inch skillet heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in zucchini and rosemary; cook and stir 3 minutes more.
• Stir in beans, broth and tomato. Bring to boiling. Stir in spinach just until wilted. Serve topped with cheese.

WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Add the garlic and cook one minute more.
• Add the tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, but it depends on what type of beans you use; canned will have some salt already.) Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes are slightly softened but still hold their shape, 3-5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Note that the sauce may have a strong vinegar flavor at first, but it will mellow out. Right before serving, stir in the fresh basil and mint. Transfer to serving dish, garnish with more fresh herbs if desired, and serve hot.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This dish can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

BACON AND CRANBERRY BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Cook and stir olive oil and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is fully cooked and begins to crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease, leaving a teaspoon in the pan.
• Stir shallots and salt into the cooked bacon; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beans, chicken broth, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the beans begin to swell, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Uncover and continue cooking bean and bacon mixture until the liquid reduces and beans are tender, 5 to 10 more minutes. Add rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Adjust levels of salt and black pepper. Remove from heat, stir in extra-virgin olive oil, hot chile paste, and fresh herbs.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Strain the cooking liquid from the beans and reserve(you should have about 2 cups of liquid-add water if necessary to reach this amount). Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it turns white and fragrant, only aobut 30 seconds. Stir in the onions, rosemary, and chili. Cook gently until the onions are very soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and enough bean cooking liquid to make the mixture brothy; simmer 5 minutes.
• Stir in the escarole or spinach; simmer until it is all wilted. Add the tomatoes, butter, parsley, and cheese if using. Remove from the heat, and stir until the butter is melted in, adding additional bean liquid as necessary to keep it brothy. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Serve warm, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
• Note:.
• This stew can be prepared just up to adding wscarole. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. The flavors will marry and the dish will be even better.