Beans on Toast
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 Lb Fresh Borlotti Beans.
- 1/2 Onion, peeled and chopped.
- 2 Large Garlic Cloves, peeled + 1 Clove peeled and cut in half.
- 1 Celery Rib, chopped.
- 1 Large Potato (or 5 or 6 baby new potatoes), chopped.
- Handful of Fresh Herbs including rosemary and thyme.
- 1 Bay Leaf.
- 1 Tbsp Dried Chili Flakes.
- 1/3 C Tomato Sauce or 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste.
- 1 Tbsp Real Maple Syrup.
- 1 Tbsp Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Coarse Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
- 4 Large or 8 Smaller Pieces of Sourdough bread.
- 2 Pieces of Cooked Bacon, chopped (optional).
Toppings:
- 1 Avocado, sliced.
- 1 C Diced Cherry Tomatoes.
- Small Handful of Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped.
- Handful of your favorite cheese, grated.
Instructions
- Begin by shelling the beans and discarding the casings. Discard any miniscule dried up ones that might appear. Throw the good beans into a large stock pot. Add the potato, celery, herbs, chili flakes, onion and garlic. Top with water to cover by 2".
- Bring to a boil and cook for 30-45 minutes or until beans are tender but still holding their shape. Drain, reserving the liquid.
- As the beans cook, prepare the toasts. Bring your broiler to high heat. Place the bread under the broiler to toast. Once it's nice, golden and crisp, add the shredded cheese and melt under the broiler again. Remove from heat. Set aside.
- Once the beans are ready, pick out the herb stems and bay leaf - discard. Pull out potatoes and garlic and mash.
- Heat your stock pot over medium heat. Add a good glug of olive oil and the tomato sauce/paste, and allow to heat through. Throw the cooked beans back in the pot and pour the cooking liquid in after them until it covers the beans by about half. Add the mashed potato mixture, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup - stir well. Bring the beans to a simmer and allow the flavors to blend for 7-10 minutes.
- Spoon the beans over toast, and finish with the diced tomatoes, sliced avocado and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Eat.
Recipe by She Eats at https://sheeats.ca/2012/10/english-lunch-beans-on-toast/