Every town in south-west France has its own version of this popular classic. Warm French bread is all that you need to accompany this hearty low fat vegetable version.
ingredients
serves 4 - 6
2 cups dried haricot beans
1 bay leaf
2 onions
3 whole cloves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp olive oil
2 leeks, thickly sliced
12 baby carrots
1/4 pound button mushrooms
14 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
salt and black pepper
method
1. Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Put them in a saucepan with 7 1/2 cups of cold water and the bay leaf. Bring to the boil and cook rapidly for 10 minutes.
2. Peel one of the onions and spike with the cloves. Add to the beans, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, until the beans are almost tender. Drain, reserving the stock but discarding the bay leaf and onion.
3. Chop the remaining onion and put it into a large flameproof casserole together with the crushed garlic and olive oil. Cook gently for 5 minutes, or until softened.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Add the leeks, carrots, mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, paprika and thyme to I the casserole, then pour in about 1 2/3 cups of the reserved stock.
5. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked beans and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
