Servings
6 s
Ingredients
- 1 pound Dried cannellini beans rinsed
- 4 cups Vegetable stock or broth
- 1 Bay leaf
- 6 Garlic cloves unpeeled, crushed slightly
- 2 large Bulbs fennel Olive oil, -OR- up to:
- 2/3 cup Olive oil Pref. Greek extra virgin
- 5 cups Peeled, seeded, tomatoes * (*chopped), with juice fresh or canned
- 1 cup Chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Lemon; juiced
- Salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preparation Time: 25 minutes Soaking Time: several hours Cooking Time: 1 hour 1. Soak beans in a large bowl of water to cover for several hours or overnight.
- Drain.
- 2. Place soaked beans into a pot with stock or broth and enough water to cover by 2 inches.
- Add bay leaf and whole garlic cloves.
- Heat to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender (about 45 minutes).
- (The beans should be softer than al dente but not cooked to the point where they begin to disintegrate.
- ) Don’t drain beans until fennel and tomato sauce is cooked.
- 3. Meanwhile, cut stalks off fennel bulb.
- Chop the feathery leaves and reserve.
- Trim off root end of the bulbs; cut bulbs in half lengthwise and slice thinly.
- There should be about 8 cups of fennel slices.
- Discard stalks or save for soup.
- Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a large heavy skillet; cook fennel over medium-low heat until wilted and translucent, about 10-12 minutes.
- Do this in batches if necessary.
- 4. Add tomato to fennel; cook 5 or 6 minutes.
- Discard garlic and bay leaf from beans; drain beans.
- Add beans to the skillet, tossing gently to combine all the ingredients.
- Add parsley and chopped fennel leaves.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove from heat, add lemon juice and remaining olive oil to taste.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Yield: 6 to 8 Servings Adapted from “Chicago Tribune Food Guide”, 4 March 1993 by Diane Kochlias From Gemini’s MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini