Shell Bean Ragout
Updated January 30, 2017
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
1 to 1 ¼ pounds fresh shell beans, such as borlotti or scarlet runner beans, shelled (about 1 ¾ to 2 cups, shelled)
½ onion
3 plump garlic cloves; 1 crushed, 2 minced
Bouquet garni made with a few sprigs parsley and thyme, Parmesan rind and a bay leaf, wrapped in a leek leaf and tied with twine
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, halved and cut in ½-inch slices
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes (about ¾ pound)
Ground black pepper
1 good-size pattypan squash or other summer squash, quartered and sliced ¼ inch thick (about 2 cups)
Slivered fresh basil leaves for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
44 grams carbs; 286 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 9 grams fat; 11 grams fiber; 847 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
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.
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
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.
- Step 4
Ladle ragout into wide bowls. Top each serving with a generous sprinkling of slivered basil leaves and a spoonful of Parmesan.
Private Notes
Comments
why discard onion and garlic? Let them cook in.
This was perfect summer food. I substituted the fresh basil, adding a dollop of my freshly made pesto instead (seeing as I had harvested a large quantity of basil from my garden yesterday). Need to let the plants have some peace and quiet for at least a few days. Added a very generous sprinkling of cheese despite the pesto, and some peppery olive oil to finish. A keeper recipe. Maybe a cheese free pistou would be better next. Also, simmer on VERY low heat as my beans were a bit over after 30 min
I just made this with dried beans, using Eye of the Goat beans (2/3 cup was the right amount). Just soak them overnight.
Could be the most delicious beans I’ve ever enjoyed! I used fresh cranberry beans (from Chases’s Daily in Belfast Maine), and most of the other ingredients came from my own garden. I used quartered paste tomatoes and didn’t bother to peel them. Added a handful of fresh spinach at the end. Served for breakfast beneath two fried eggs, with sourdough toast and some avocado on the side. Holy moly these are perfection!
Came here to say you should never let beans come to a boil—turn them down as soon as they hit a bare simmer.
Great as written, but I took a page out of cook Lauren's notebook this week since we had a similar CSA overabundance. Added chard, sweet corn, extra tomatoes, extra squash, and used the black lentils we'd cooked a couple days ago rather than beans. I know, totally different this way, still delicious.