Best Bean Ragout Recipes

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.

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.

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.

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.

WHITE BEAN, SWEET POTATO & PEPPER RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook and stir peppers in oil until tender. Add the sweet potato and rosemary; cook for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in water and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until sweet potato is tender. Stir in the beans, tomatoes and salt; heat through., Serve immediately, or cool before placing in a freezer container. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. , To use frozen ragout: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place in a Dutch oven; heat through.

WHITE BEAN AND MUSHROOM RAGOUT

Steps:

• Carefully brush mushrooms with a mushroom brush or towel to remove dirt. Cut larger mushrooms in half or into 1/2-inch slices; keep smaller mushrooms whole.
• In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly browned. Add wine, beans and 1/4 cup water; cook for 3 minutes more, until mushrooms are soft and beans are heated through. Adjust seasonings, and keep warm until ready to serve.

QUICK WHITE BEAN AND CELERY RAGOUT

Steps:

• Combine the stock, oil, celery, zucchini and scallions in a large, deep skillet; season generously with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, adding the beans halfway through, about 10 minutes total. If you'd like to make it brothier, add 1/3 cup vegetable stock and warm for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide among shallow bowls. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche, drizzle with pesto and top with celery leaves. Serve with couscous or grilled bread.

EMERIL LAGASSE'S TUSCAN KALE & WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• 1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the bay leaf, garlic, crushed red pepper and red onion. Cook until the onion begins to wilt and the garlic begins to turn golden around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the kale, salt and pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes. Then add the white beans, tomatoes and stock. Cover and cook until the kale is wilted and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• 2. Transfer the ragout to a serving dish, and drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil to taste. Serve hot.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, WHITE BEAN AND KALE RAGOUT (VEGAN)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel pumpkin or squash. Trim stem, then halve pumpkin or squash and scoop out seeds (save for roasting if desired). Cut flesh into 1-inch cubes.
• 2. Spread cubes out on a large rimmed baking sheet. In small saucepan, combine butter or canola oil, syrup, 1 teaspoon vinegar, kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cayenne. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until butter melts; pour mixture over squash and toss to coat evenly. Roast, tossing occasionally, until pumpkin or squash is very tender and caramelized at edges, about 30 minutes.
• 3. In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, rosemary and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft and not at all browned, about 15 minutes. Add beans and broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
• 4. Stir in kale. Simmer until kale is cooked down and very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in pumpkin or squash and chopped cranberries; season with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Garnish with additional cranberries and sea salt, and serve.

NEW ZEALAND RACK OF LAMB WITH SWEET POTATO MASH AND THREE BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Drain and rinse all liquid off beans. Combine beans in a bowl and set aside. Begin cooking bacon in a saute pan. Begin roasting yams in preheated oven until soft, and remove to let cool enough to handle.
• Heat olive oil in another large saute pan for the lamb. Season the rack of lamb with salt and pepper. Place lamb into hot pan and sear meat all around.
• Remove bacon to drain on paper toweling. In same pan lightly saute onion and garlic in bacon fat until translucent. Add red wine and reduce by half.
• Place the lamb in a roasting pan and roast in the oven until done to your liking, about 15 to 20 minutes for medium rare, an internal temperature of 125 degrees F (this means that because of the 5 to 8 minutes of carryover cooking while it rests, you pull it out at 120 degrees F so it will end up at 125 degrees F for medium rare).
• When yams are cool enough to handle, peel off skin and add butter and cream and mash. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
• Remove the lamb to a utility platter and let rest before slicing.
• Add demi-glace and tomato paste to the pan with the onion, garlic, and bacon fat, then incorporate all beans with mixture. Lower heat and simmer. Add rosemary and chives. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Place sweet potatoes in the middle of a serving platter. Surround potatoes with bean ragout. Slice rack of lamb in between bones and lay over potatoes. Spoon demi-glace sauce over and serve.

WHITE BEAN RAGOUT CROSTINI WITH RED ONION JAM

Steps:

• Note: Beans do not need to be soaked. Rinse beans and place in an All-Clad 3.5 quart round oven. Cover with 8 cups water and add carrot, celery, shallot, garlic and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and continue to cook over very low heat until beans are soft, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove vegetables and bay leaf. Drain liquid from beans and return to pot. Mash with a potato masher until smooth, but still somewhat textured. Season with remaining 2 teaspoons salt, olive oil and lemon juice and mix well.
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and salt and saute until soft and somewhat translucent, about 15 minutes. Add wine, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook until liquid is almost completely gone, about 30 minutes longer. Stir in red wine vinegar and check seasoning, adding more vinegar if desired.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil and arrange in a single layer on rimmed baking sheets. Bake until golden and crispy, about 15 minutes. As soon as the bread is cool enough to handle, rub one side with garlic clove to infuse with flavor. Top each crostini with about 1 tablespoon bean ragout and 1 1/2 teaspoons of onion jam. Top with mint chiffonade and drizzle with olive oil.

PAN SEARED SEABASS WITH WHITE BEAN RAGOUT, BRAISED ESCAROLE AND TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Discard the water from the soaked beans.
• In a large saucepot, render the pancetta. Add the beans and 5 cups of water. Simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the beans, reserve the liquid and discard the pancetta. Set aside.
• In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Saute all the vegetables until the onions are transparent.
• In a small bowl, dilute the tomato paste in the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Add to the vegetables. Add the spinach, the reserved bean liquid and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add the beans, season with salt and pepper. Reduce by 1/4. Reserve.
• Prepare the Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss gently. Reserve.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the fish fillets with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place a medium saute pan over high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the fish, skin side down for 2 minutes. Transfer to the oven and bake until done, about 5 to 6 minutes. Do not turn the fish to ensure a crispy skin.
• Prepare the escarole. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil. Saute the escarole until wilted. Season with salt.
• Meanwhile, lay out 4 large soup plates and ladle 6 ounces of the white bean ragout on each plate. Lay 2 spears of escarole cross-wise. With a metal spatula, carefully place a fillet, skin side up, on top of the escarole. Spoon tomato vinaigrette across the fillet. Serve immediately.

POLENTA WITH WHITE-BEAN AND ROASTED-PEPPER RAGOUT

Steps:

• Bring broth and 2 cups water to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat; season with salt. Slowly add polenta, whisking constantly. Simmer, stirring frequently and reducing heat as needed, until thick and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes for regular, or about 5 minutes for quick-cooking. Remove from heat; cover.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat; swirl in oil. Add garlic, celery, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in roasted peppers and beans; season with salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer; cook, mashing some of beans to create a creamy sauce, until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Serve over polenta, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with celery leaves.

WHITE BEAN RAGOûT WITH LEMON OIL AND SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Place beans in large pot. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 3 inches; let stand overnight. Drain.
• Return beans to same pot. Add 8 cups water; onion and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Drain beans; transfer to baking pan. Discard onion and bay leaves.
• Meanwhile, combine oil and lemon slices in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer over low heat until lemon slices are translucent, about 5 minutes. Let cool uncovered 30 minutes. Strain lemon oil into bowl. Transfer 4 lemon slices to plate; cut in half and reserve (discard remaining lemon slices). (Beans, cooking liquid, lemon oil and lemons can be prepared 1 day ahead. Chill separately.)
• Heat 4 tablespoons lemon oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, 1 cup reserved cooking liquid, remaining lemon oil, herbs and lemon juice to mushrooms. Simmer over medium heat 5 minutes to blend flavors. Cool completely.
• Stir chopped tomatoes and grated Parmesan cheese into bean mixture season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon bean mixture onto platter. Garnish with halved lemon slices.

WHITE BEAN, SUMMER SQUASH AND TOMATO RAGOUT

Steps:

• Soak the beans if desired. I do not recommend soaking lima beans, as their skins detach too easily when you soak them. I usually do soak cannellinis. Cut the onion in half. Chop one half and set aside.
• Combine the beans, the onion half that isn't chopped, the 2 crushed garlic cloves and the bouquet garni in a large saucepan. Add 5 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 1 hour. Add salt to taste and simmer for another hour, until the beans are tender. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning. Remove the onion and the bouquet garni and discard
• Meanwhile, in a large casserole or deep, wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring often, until it is tender, about 5 minutes, and add the minced garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is fragrant, and add the summer squash. Turn up the heat slightly so that the squash begins to cook right away, and sauté until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the thyme and the tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have begun to break down. Turn the heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. The tomatoes should have cooked down and smell fragrant. Stir in the beans and their broth, bring to a simmer and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the basil, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot or warm, tossed with pasta, over grains, or as is.

BROILED SALMON WITH A WHITE BEAN, KALE, AND BACON RAGOUT

Steps:

• Position oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler to high. In a heavey skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon in the olive oil, stirring occasionally, until the bacon renders much of its fat and starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Use a spoon to remove 2 T. of the bacon fat from the skillet and reserve in a small bowl. Add the garlic to the bacon in the skilllet. cook, stirring, until the garlic starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Raise the heat to high, add the kale and saute, stirring, until it starts to wilt, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium cover the skillet, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm. While the beans are coooking, line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with foil and arrange the salmon, skin side down, on it Drizzle the reserved bacon fat over the slamon and season with 1/2 t. salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Broil until slightly firm to the touch, 7 to 10 minutes for medium (the salmon will be dark pink in the middle). Sprinkle half of the thyme over the salmon. Stir the remaining thyme into the beans and kale and season with salt and pepper to taste.. To serve, spoon equal portions of the beans and kale onto dinner plates and top each with a piece of salmon. Serve immediately.

FENNEL-RUBBED HALIBUT WITH FAVA BEAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-hot fire (450°F) in a wood-fired grill.
• Combine the fennel seeds and olive oil to create a paste. Add the salt and pepper. Rub each fillet with the mixture and set aside at room temperature.
• To make the ragout, bring the white wine and stock to a low boil in a small nonreactive saucepan. Add the saffron threads, remove from the heat, and set aside.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes, then add the leeks and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs. Add the saffron liquid and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the fava beans, and carrots and cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the favas and carrots are tender. Remove the thyme and add the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
• Oil the grill grids and add the halibut. Cover and cook on one side until the flesh is opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes. (With the lid closed, the delicate halibut does not need to be turned over and cooked on both sides.) Transfer to a warmed platter, grilled side up, surround with the ragout, and serve.
• Cleaning Leeks
• Leeks add an incredible depth of flavor to homemade soups, but they are like sand traps. Trim off the root ends, then make two perpendicular cuts down the entire length of the dark green leaves. Swish the leeks in a bowl of warm water (I find that cold water makes the sand cling), separating the dark green leaves to expose any sand. Then chop them and swish around in a fresh bowl of water. Lift out chopped leeks with your fingers, allowing any sediment to sink to the bottom of the bowl
• steaming fava beans
• Rather than the tedious three-step method of shelling, blanching, and peeling fava beans, try this time-saver from Paula Wolfert.
• Place unshelled fava beans in a steamer rack over boiling water; cover and cook until wilted, about 15 minutes. Remove from the steamer and let cool to the touch. Remove the pods, then remove the skin from each fava bean.
• If the beans will be cooked further, cut back a bit on the steaming time so the beans will be slightly undercooked when skinned.

MANILA CLAM AND WHITE BEAN RAGOUT WITH PARSLEY SAUCE

Steps:

• Season grouper with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Sear grouper until golden brown. Turn fish and finish cooking;
• Heat oil in small pot. Add shallots, garlic, peppers; sweat vegetables. Add beans, wine and lemon juice, bring to boil. Add clams, cover, and steam until they open. Add parsley, season with salt and pepper.;
• Blanch parsley in boiling salted water. Shock parsley in ice water; drain. Puree parsley in blender until smooth paste. Add oil, puree until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.
• Plate Presentation:
• Spoon bean ragout into center of a bowl. Place clams around ragout. Place grouper on top of ragout. Drizzle with the parsley sauce.

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.