Sounds boring and worthy, tastes amazingly comforting and delicious. Best eaten sitting on the sofa after a long day
- 1 tsp butter
- 2 tsp veg oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 400g passata
- 1 heaped tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 3 shakes worcestershire sauce
- 1 heaped tsp paprika
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp pul biber (or a pinch of dried chilli flakes)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried sage
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tin of beans, drained (I like borlotti because they’re chunky and they look nice)
- 1 tin (or pouch) of cooked black lentils or beluga lentils
- Put a saucepan on a medium heat and warm the oil and butter together
- Add the onion and garlic and cook for 7-8 mins until soft and golden
- Add all the rest of the ingredients except the beans and lentils. Stir thoroughly, bring to a bubble and then simmer for 30 mins
- Add the beans and lentils, stir in and cook for a further 15 mins
- Serve with polenta (or rice, or pasta or bread or whatever – it’s tasty with anything)
While the beans cook, make your polenta
- 400ml vegetable stock, or water
- 100g fine quick-cook polenta
- 1 heaped tbsp butter
- 80g sweetcorn (tinned or frozen and defrosted)
- 20g parmesan, finely grated
- Salt and pepper
- Grated nutmeg
- Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan
- Pour in the polenta and whisk in to ensure it’s smooth. Cook for about 10 mins, stirring all the time
- Once cooked, add the corn, butter, cheese and nutmeg, season with salt and plenty of black pepper
- Taste for seasoning and serve in a deep bowl with your bean casserole and some green veg on the side
Sophie cooks 