Creamy cannellini beans with shallots & cider

Name: Creamy cannellini beans with shallots & cider
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 Echalion Shallots (about 450g), peeled and halved; 5 cloves garlic, sliced; 25 g pack curly leaf parsley, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped; 500 ml dry cider; 570 g jar white beans; 20 g pack thyme; 2 tbsp creme fraiche

In this recipe by Waitrose Food editor Lucy Battersby, gently cooking shallots in cider makes them melt-in-the-mouth tender. This stew is a dinner in itself or a luscious side for a Sunday roast. Follow Lucy Battersby on Instagram.

4 out of 5 stars(4) Rate this recipe

VegetarianLow fat2 of your 5 a day

Serves4 as a side
CourseSide
Prepare5 mins
Cook1 hr 20 mins
Total time1 hr 25 mins

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2 tbsp olive oil
4 Echalion Shallots (about 450g), peeled and halved
5 cloves garlic, sliced
½ x 25g pack curly leaf parsley, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
500ml dry cider
570g jar white beans
¼ x 20g pack thyme
2 tbsp creme fraiche

Pour the oil into a large, lidded frying pan or flameproof casserole. Set over a medium-high heat and add the shallots, cut-side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes until lightly charred, then turn and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until browned. Transfer to a plate. Put the garlic and parsley stalks in the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, then return the shallots to the pan with the cider, beans (and their liquid) and thyme; season. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour, until the shallots are tender.
Uncover the pan, turn up the heat and bubble for 5-10 minutes until thickened and creamy. Take off the heat, remove the thyme stalks, stir through the crème fraîche and season, if needed. Scatter over the parsley leaves, then serve with crusty bread; pile on toast and top with a crispy fried egg; or enjoy with roast chicken or pork.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe