Tuscan White Beans With Sage

Lizzymommy's Note:

A hearty, delicious vegetarian meal that gets requested frequently by my meat-eating parents! Good with chunky pasta shapes (rigatoni or the like) or just served as a stew in deep dishes with a good bread. Do not substitute dry sage for fresh - the flavor simply does not translate. The cooking time listed is the absolute minimum. The stew's flavor only improves with long slow cooking, but I often throw the meal together in under half an hour. Makes terrific leftovers hot or cold! Derived loosely from a Moosewood cookbook recipe.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup carrot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
• 28 ounces petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 2 (15 7/8 ounce) cans white beans (cannellini or great northern)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Saute the onion, garlic, and carrots in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add in the sage, cook until aromatic.
2. Add the can of tomatoes, heat through.
3. Add the white beans, return to a simmer, and simmer as long as you like (the longer, the yummier, honestly!).
4. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice.
5. This dish holds up well to slight modifications. I have put in a stalk of celery, diced, with the onions and carrots. I have added a little dried rosemary with the white beans. All quite tasty. For omnivores, this dish is delicious with a few shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic served on top.

Reviews

[Dogbite]

I was looking for a way to use some leftover pork loin in combination with some white beans. I found this recipe and made the following adaptations: I cooked 4 slices of chopped bacon instead of the oil, and with the sage, I added six inches of the pork loin, cubed. I also added a half cup of chicken broth (just enough to barely cover). It was marvelous, and surprisingly light in texture, although complete in flavor. Next time I will use 3 cans of beans.

[kickapoo kid]

very good and super easy and fast. i was looking for a vegetarian dish to make and still had to take my 18 month old to the grocery store to get the ingredients. this was perfect. not much to put together and quick to make, but still tastes good. even my 18 month old ate it and she's been picky lately!

[Chef #284771]

Great quick and easy stew. I added some fresh rosemary and served it with some crusty herbed foccacia bread--Yummy! I did have to season it a bit more with pepper for DH. He's a spice fanatic:) Thanks for a really easy dinner recipe.