Caramelised Fennel & Butterbeans with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Oh my, how many ways can one add a tin butterbeans to a dish? It turns out many!
Creamy butterbeans in a fragrant oil filled with pockets of sun-dried tomatoes.
In this dish, for me, its really about the oil so don’t be shy. I like to use the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, it adds a subtle tomatoey flavour which I love.
Why you should make this easy butterbean dish
- Its full of fibre
- Multiple ways to serve this (see serving suggestions)
- Few ingredients
- Full of flavour
- Will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge
Butterbeans are having a moment in my kitchen, I love their creaminess and the fact that they hold their shape and texture when cooked.
More butterbean recipes:
- Greek Butterbean Saganaki with Grilled Feta
- Harissa Butterbean Stew with Preserved Lemons as featured in Week 2 Menu of my weekly menu’s
- Ricotta Stuffed Red Peppers with Butterbean Pesto
- Roasted Broccolini & Butterbeans with Salsa Verde
This year the fennel in my garden matured early with the result that I had a glut of beautiful fennel bulbs late Spring.
Fennel loves to be slowly cooked especially with a great extra-virgin olive oil spiked with all sorts of delicious things including cream, garlic, lemon and fennel seeds.
More fennel recipes:
- Fennel, Butterbean & Cream Bake
- Fennel & Goats Cheese Tart
- Roasted Grapes & Fennel Gorgeous Salad
- Roast Fennel & Butternut Quiche
A jar of sun-dried tomatoes
Good quality sun-dried tomatoes are an easy way to add pockets of acidity to dishes. I always have a jar handy. Here are a few more recipes using a jar:
Serving suggestions:
I love to have a good bean dish in my fridge, packed full of fibre it is such a delicious way to add fibre to any meal.
- Serve with morning eggs
- Add a cup to a crunchy salad
- Serve with smashed avo on freshly toasted bread – bliss
- Serve, dolloped with roasted veg or jacket sweet potatoes
Substitutes
You can off course use any beans you have at home, chickpeas will also work, although I would mash 1/4 cup or so up to make sure its ‘creamy enough’. Use any soft herbs you have, with fennel, I like dill (duplicates fennels aniseed notes), tarragon (ditto) and parsley.
Caramelised Fennel & Butterbeans with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil/jar of sun-dried tomatoes oil
- 2 large fennel bulbs top & tailed, halved and each half finely sliced
- 1 red onion finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 cup veggie stock
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes from a jar
- 1/4 cup thick Greek style yogurt of choice
- 2 x 400g tins butterbeans drained
- 1 small handful chopped herbs I love dill, tarragon, fennel fonds and parsley
- Lemon zest and juice to taste
- Parmesan/feta/chilli oil to serve opt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the fennel seeds and chilli flakes (if using) and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the sliced fennel, onions and garlic with 1 teaspoon salt, stir to coat with the olive oil and cook, covered, until the fennel mixture is soft even jammy looking - about 20 minutes. NOTE: the aim is to slowly cook the fennel mixture, without browning. When slowly cooked, veggies lose their texture and thus releasing all their natural sweetness.
- Have a taste and season with salt & pepper.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, stock and drained butterbeans. Stir well to incorporate and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Add the yogurt, stir through, zest of 1/2 a lemon and a tablespoons worth of juice. Finally add the herbs - have a taste and season to perfection. Enjoy!
