Cooking runner beans in tomato sauce provides a delicious vegetable side dish and gravy all in one, which can easily be volumed up for a vegetarian casserole. The sauce can be cooked on a low heat for up to 2 hours, longer in a slow cooker, so this is a great recipe for both the first picking of fresh young beans right through to the last few stringy and tough beans. No waste great!
Link to measurement conversion chart
Recipe serves 4 as a vegetable side dish
Ingredients
- 500g of runner beans sliced
- 50g butter or a splash of oil for cooking
- 1 small or ½ a large onion chopped finely
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 tin of plum tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Tomato puree
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- ½ tsp sugar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
You will also need
- A large saucepan
Method
- Heat some oil in a saucepan until it is smoking. Add the onions then turn the heat down and let the onions soften
- Add the garlic, herbs, tomatoes, tomato puree and beans then bring back to a simmer
- Reduce the heat and cook until the beans are tender, 20 mins for young ones, as long as 2 hours for the really old ones (probably best cooked in a slow cooker all day or used in the stew version!)
- Adjust the seasoning to taste, adding sugar to taste at the same time
Serving suggestions and variations
- Great served with Sausages, grilled or roasted chicken and breaded fish
- Remember herbs add depth of flavour to your food. Add some rosemary, basil or thyme to give even more flavour
- If you like more sauce add 10ml of vegetable stock when you add the beans
- Try adding a few finely chopped mushrooms, potatoes and broad beans or any other vegetables you have handy to make a vegetarian stew
- Add a little Tabasco or chilli sauce if you want a bit of bite.
Acknowledgements
This recipe has been passed down through generations of Polish Farmers and has made its way to me via my friend Lydia. Thanks Lydia, we will eat and enjoy our beans from the young and tender to the old and woody from now on.
If you liked this recipe you may also like to try one of these recipes from our collection:
- Most of you know that Quich is my absolute favourite dish in the world. Have a try of this Asparagus Quiche when the asparagus is in season
- looking for a variety of side salads to offer then give the Onion and Tomato salad a go and add some colour to your table at the same time.
- So many of us love a chocolate cake try the chocolate variation of our classic Victoria Sponge as a teatime or lunch box treat
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Happy eating!