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Vibrant Tasty Green Beans

Vibrant Tasty Green Beans

This is one of my favorite ways to cook green beans – five ingredients, one skillet. I know some of you are married to your traditional way of cooking them, but if you are in the market for a new version, give this recipe a go.

Simple Green Beans

I cook green beans a couple times a week during certain seasons, and this version with its slightly quirky combination of ingredients is one I come back to over and over. It is light and bright, healthy and delicious. Simply cook a bunch of chopped leeks (or scallions) until they are golden and a bit crunchy, toss in some chopped dill, and then add the green beans. Do your best to not overcook them and you’re all set. If this recipe isn’t quite your jam, but you love beans, try this Green Bean Slaw, these Yellow Wax Beans & Scallions, Feisty Green Beans (so good!), or this Yellow Bean Salad.

Side dish vs. Main dish

While I’ve written this recipe as more of a side dish – you can easily bump it up to main dish status. I sometimes use the dilled green beans to fill omelettes (along with a bit of goat cheese). Alternately, you might toss some tofu, tempeh or seitan into the skillet (sautéed until nicely browned or golden ahead of time) along with the beans. Or, you could make a main dish salad by serving the beans over lightly dressed butter lettuce & toss a few raviolis in. There are plenty of directions to take this one!

Ingredients

I think this goes without saying, but do your best to seek out really good beans. They should be bright green and have a bit of snap when you bend them. Avoid anything leathery, also avoid beans that are limp, mottled, soft, mushy or mangy.

As I note in the recipe down below, this is best made to order, just before serving. I don’t like hot green beans after they’ve been sitting around for long periods of time – they lose vibrancy, and the texture and taste changes as they sit overcooking themselves. That said, there’s a way to prep the main components ahead if you’re doing them for Thanksgiving.

How to make ahead

You can make this recipe a day ahead of time by cooking the leeks and dill first and setting them aside. Instead of cooking the beans in a skillet, blanch them in a pot of boiling, well-salted water for about a minute. Drain and dunk the beans in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside until ready to use. Combine the components before serving – you can do it at room temperature, or heated quickly in a skillet or pan before serving.

 

Vibrant Tasty Green Beans

The following recipe is best made just before serving time. But as I mentioned in the main post you can make/prep this ahead of time by cooking the leeks and dill first and setting them aside. Instead of cooking the green beans in the skillet, blanch them in a pot of boiling, well-salted water for about a minute. Drain the beans and dunk them in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and place the beans in a bag or bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use. When ready, combine the components – you can do it at room temperature, or heated quickly in a skillet or pan.

INGREDIENTS
  • 4 leeks (or one bunch of scallions), well washed, root end and tops trimmed, sliced lengthwise into quarters and then chopped into 1-inch segments
  • 1/3 cup fresh dill, well chopped
  • 3/4 pound green beans, tops and tails trimmed
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • fine-grain sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large thick-bottomed skillet of medium-high heat add a generous splash of olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and the leeks. Stir until the leeks are coated and glossy. Cook, stirring regularly until a lot of the leeks are golden and crispy. I stir every minute or two in the beginning, and more often as they brown using a metal spatula. All in all it takes me roughly 7 – 10 minutes to brown the leeks.

  2. At this point stir in the dill, and then stir in the green beans. Cook for a couple more minutes – just until the the beans brighten up and lose that raw bite. Turn out into a bowl or onto a platter and serve immediately. If you want to prepare these green beans ahead of time – read the head notes.

The post Vibrant Tasty Green Beans appeared first on 101 Cookbooks

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Cheesy Vegetarian

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

Black beans are without a doubt my favourite bean (and my kids’ favourite too), and I absolutely love this simple black bean stew. It’s nothing fancy or complicated, just good, honest food – simply black beans in a rich tomato sauce, cooked with a few straightforward spices, and served up however you like. And best of all, it can be on the table in less than half an hour.

A portion of tomato and black bean stew served with rice, lettuce and sour cream.

This easy recipe uses canned black beans, because who’s got time for cooking dried beans on a busy weeknight – or any other time?! Certainly not me, and I love using canned beans for a quick dinner. Just simmer them until the stew is nice and thick, and they really could not be more delicious.

🍚 How to Serve Black Bean Stew

I’ve made this dish dozens of times, and served it in so many different ways. It’s a really versatile recipe. Here are some ideas for how to serve this easy black bean stew:

  • simply served with rice (and toppings, like avocado and sour cream)
  • wrapped up in a soft tortilla to make an amazing bean burrito
  • loaded into a taco shell with salad and extra toppings
  • heaped onto a baked potato
  • served with lots of roasted veggies (crispy potato wedges would be great)
  • with tortilla chips on the side for scooping

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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for tomato and black bean stew laid out with text overlay.
  • black beans. Canned black beans ensure this recipe is quick and easy. If you prefer, you can cook dried beans from scratch beforehand, then follow the recipe as written.
  • onion – I used half an onion, because I find a whole large onion is too much in this recipe. If you’d rather not have half an onion left over, try to just use a small one instead.
  • tomatoes (try to use good quality ones)
  • tomato paste
  • garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would also be fine.
  • smoked paprika
  • ground cumin
  • fresh chilli (or chilli flakes, if you prefer) – I always choose a small, mild chilli. I do like things quite spicy, but adding too much spice can spoil a meal very quickly! If you’re not sure how hot your chilli is, start with just a small amount – you can always add more later.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you find you sometimes get stomach issues from eating too many beans or other legumes, make sure you rinse canned beans before cooking with them. This can help to wash away the gas-inducing substances from the beans.

📹 Recipe Video





Overhead shot of rich tomato and black bean stew with rice and lettuce.

🖨 Printable Instructions

Vegan tomato and black bean stew on a plate with rice and lettuce.

Print

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

A super easy vegan black bean stew, with a rich tomato sauce and beautiful spices. This is such a versatile recipe!
Course Main Course
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3 people
Calories 266kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1/2 onion (or 1 small onion), finely diced
  • 1 tsp garlic puree (or 4 cloves garlic, minced)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 small mild chilli, finely diced (or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes)
  • ~ 5 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 x 400g tins black beans, drained (480g, or ~ 2 1/2 cups, in total when drained)
  • 75 ml (~ 1/3 cup) water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, and cook for around 5 minutes, until fairly soft but not browned.
    Finely diced onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and chopped chilli, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. You can start with just half of the chilli if you’re unsure how hot it is.
    Spiced onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Next, add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture forms a thick, tomatoey paste.
    Rich tomatoes and onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Add the drained black beans to the pan, along with the water, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, and allow to simmer for at least 5 minutes – leave it longer if you have time, ideally more like 15-20 minutes. The mixture should be thick and rich. You can remove the lid for the last few minutes if your stew needs thickening up.
    Rich tomato and black bean stew in a frying pan.
  • Serve warm. I like to serve mine with rice and a dollop of sour cream.
    Vegan tomato and black bean stew with rice and lettuce.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.7g | Protein: 13.6g | Fat: 6.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 478mg | Potassium: 954mg | Fiber: 14.3g | Sugar: 5.5g | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 4mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prep this bean stew in advance?

Yes – this stew will reheat nicely, so it’s no problem to prepare it in advance. Once it’s cooked, allow it to cool, and store in the fridge in an airtight tub until you’re ready to reheat.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

You can reheat any leftovers in the microwave, or in a pan on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of water when reheating if the stew has dried out a little. Ensure the beans are piping hot before serving.

Is this recipe vegan / gluten-free?

Yes! This bean stew is both vegan and gluten-free.

🫘 Other Black Bean Recipes

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The post Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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