Bean Ragout Recipes

BACON AND CRANBERRY BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Cook and stir olive oil and bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until bacon is fully cooked and begins to crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off excess grease, leaving a teaspoon in the pan.
• Stir shallots and salt into the cooked bacon; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in beans, chicken broth, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the beans begin to swell, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Uncover and continue cooking bean and bacon mixture until the liquid reduces and beans are tender, 5 to 10 more minutes. Add rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Adjust levels of salt and black pepper. Remove from heat, stir in extra-virgin olive oil, hot chile paste, and fresh herbs.

WHITE BEAN RAGOUT WITH TOAST

Steps:

• Pulse onions in a food processor until finely chopped but not puréed (you should have about 2 cups). Transfer to a medium bowl. Pulse bell pepper in processor until finely chopped but not puréed (you should have about 1 cup); add to bowl and mix well.
• Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion mixture (it may splatter) and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring often, until vegetables are completely softened, about 30 minutes. Add finely grated garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste begins to turn deep red, about 3 minutes. Measure 1/2 cup soffritto and set aside; reserve skillet. Transfer remaining soffritto to a container and let cool completely, uncovered. Cover and store in refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. Rub bread slices with cut sides of remaining garlic clove. Place bread on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan over each slice. Toast until cheese begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat reserved 1/2 cup soffritto and beans in same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups broth; bring to a boil. Simmer, scraping up browned bits, until liquid is slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes and remaining 1 cup broth; simmer until tomatoes are tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide bread among bowls. Top with some bean mixture and broth. Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan and parsley. Drizzle with oil, if desired.

CHEF JOHN'S CRANBERRY BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic slices in hot oil until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds.
• Pour 1/2 cup chicken stock over the garlic; add cranberry beans, corn, tomato, currants, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper, respectively, and stir. Sprinkle 1 pinch oregano over the beans mixture.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, add another splash chicken stock, and cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more broth to keep mixture from becoming dry, until the beans are completely tender, about 45 minutes.
• Stir remaining oregano into the beans mixture; transfer to a plate and garnish with lemon zest.

SHELL BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ladle ragout into wide bowls. Top each serving with a generous sprinkling of slivered basil leaves and a spoonful of Parmesan.

WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Add the garlic and cook one minute more.
• Add the tomatoes, beans, chicken broth, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, but it depends on what type of beans you use; canned will have some salt already.) Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes are slightly softened but still hold their shape, 3-5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Note that the sauce may have a strong vinegar flavor at first, but it will mellow out. Right before serving, stir in the fresh basil and mint. Transfer to serving dish, garnish with more fresh herbs if desired, and serve hot.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This dish can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

THREE-BEAN AND VEGETABLE RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, peppers and garlic and cook until softened- about 5 minutes.
• Stir in carrots, tomatoes, kidney beans, chickpeas, broth, tomato paste and seasonings. Simmer over medium low heat, covered for about 30 minutes. Stir ocassionally.
• Add beans and cook until heated and tender.
• Serve with soft polenta, couscous or mashed potatoes.
• Spinkle with cheese.

WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a 10-inch skillet heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in zucchini and rosemary; cook and stir 3 minutes more.
• Stir in beans, broth and tomato. Bring to boiling. Stir in spinach just until wilted. Serve topped with cheese.

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Strain the cooking liquid from the beans and reserve(you should have about 2 cups of liquid-add water if necessary to reach this amount). Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it turns white and fragrant, only aobut 30 seconds. Stir in the onions, rosemary, and chili. Cook gently until the onions are very soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and enough bean cooking liquid to make the mixture brothy; simmer 5 minutes.
• Stir in the escarole or spinach; simmer until it is all wilted. Add the tomatoes, butter, parsley, and cheese if using. Remove from the heat, and stir until the butter is melted in, adding additional bean liquid as necessary to keep it brothy. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Serve warm, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
• Note:.
• This stew can be prepared just up to adding wscarole. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. The flavors will marry and the dish will be even better.

PASTA, SAUSAGE, AND BEAN RAGOûT

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 6 minutes. Add beef and sausage and sauté until brown, breaking up meats with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, broth, beans, 1 cup basil, oregano, and dried crushed red pepper. Simmer 15 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to bite, about 15 more minutes. Add spinach and cook just until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in 1/3 cup cheese and remaining 1/2 cup basil. Season ragout with salt and pepper; ladle into bowls. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large saucepan cook beans in boiling water for 30 minutes until tender. Drain.
• Heat oil, garlic and shallots over medium heat until golden. Add beans and stir until nicely coated with oil. Add chicken stock and simmer until 1/3 liquid remains, about 15 to 20 minutes Add butter and cook until thickened. Finish with grated lemon zest and parsley. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring cider to a boil and reduce by 3/4. Drizzle on plate.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.