In the famous words of Uncle Dennis, a house is not a home unless there is a pot of beans on the stove. Greeks have a way with beans that put them at the heart of everyday family food and whether it is Greece’s decades of religious fasting or fugal times, there simply no need to include any meat. Sofia’s recipe for “barbounofasolia” (one of the Greek terms for borlotti beans) is simple. Tomatoes, garlic and a little white wine make for a delicious broth with a crown of extra virgin olive oil surrounding the creamy white beans. Serve with a little feta and olives, and some pillowy slices of good quality bread to soak up the leftover broth.
Braised borlotti beans
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 kg borlotti χάντρες beans, fresh or frozen
- 1 kg ripe tomatoes
- 1 glass white wine
- 1 bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
- Sea salt to taste
- Sofia's chilli puree to taste see basics page
Instructions
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In a large pot, cook the garlic gently until fragrant. Add the beans and mix to cover in the aromatic oil. Add 2½ glasses of water and allow the liquid to boil. Then, lower and simmer for about 15 minutes.
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In the meantime, wash the tomatoes and halve or quarter. Put them in a separate saucepan with a splash of water and let them simmer for a few minutes. Once the tomatoes have released a little liquid, remove from the heat. Place the tomatoes in a colander and push through with a wooden pestle or pass the tomatoes through a mouli.
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Add the fresh tomato puree, chopped parsley, chilli puree and white wine to the beans, bring to the boil and then lower the heat and simmer for another 60 minutes or until the beans soften and the olive oil has cooked into the tomato sauce. When simmering the beans, stir from time to time to make sure they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. If required, add a little boiling water. Serve warm with a side plate of feta cheese and olives.
