Vegetarian mains
Roasted peppers and white beans
This is a lovely combination, and both the beans and the peppers will keep in the fridge for a few days. You can mix them and serve either warm or at room temperature. They're a light meal on their own, or good with roasted meats, particularly lamb. Try blitzing the beans in a food processor and serving with the pepper quarters as a bruschetta topping. If you're short of time, use tinned beans – warm them with some good olive oil and season well.
Ingredients
- 150g cannellini or haricot beans, soaked overnight
- 4 red peppers, deseeded and quartered
- olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- pinch brown sugar (ideally muscovado)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon (if making bruschetta)
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
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Step 2
Drain the beans, then cover with twice their volume of water in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer until tender. If your beans have been in the cupboard for a while, this may take longer, but usually 60-90 minutes.
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Step 3
Skim the froth off the top a few times while they're cooking. Add some boiling water if you need to. (If you're planning to make bruschetta, then keep some of the cooking water when you drain the beans).
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Step 4
Coat the peppers with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast for about half an hour, until soft. Place in a bowl covered with a plate. Peel when cool, keeping any juices aside (this can be used to make bruschetta).
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Step 5
Make a dressing with 100ml olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and 2 garlic cloves cut in half and season. Pour over the peppers. These will keep well in the fridge as long as they are submerged in the dressing – add a bit more oil if not.
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Step 6
To serve, fry the last garlic clove, crushed, in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for a minute, add the beans and season. Add the peppers, warm through and serve.
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Step 7
To make bruschetta, blitz the beans in a food processor with a crushed clove of garlic, the juice of a lemon, a little more oil and some of the cooking liquid.
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Step 8
Season well and add more lemon juice to taste. Serve on grilled bread topped with some of the peppers and a little more oil.
