Bold Bean Co Shares Some Of Its Most Popular Recipes

Amelia Christie-Miller played a big part in making beans cool with her giant jars of premium legumes, AKA Bold Beans Co. And, better still, she’s given us a whole load of ideas for ways to cook them in her recent cookbook, Full of Beans. Naturally, the recipes are bean-centric, showcasing exciting new ways to cook everything from carlin peas to black beans and chickpeas. Below, we share three favourites from the book – the perfect fibre-rich dishes for chilly January evenings.

3 Recipes From Bold Bean Co

Chickpea, Tomato + Harissa Stew with Herby Yoghurt

‘This is an iconic Bold Bean dish. Sweet cherry tomatoes, spicy harissa and chickpeas make an absolute banger of a dish – and it only takes 20 minutes. The tomatoes get blistered and charred so they’re bursting with flavour, the bean stock makes everything super saucy and the harissa kick is balanced with creamy, herby yoghurt.’

• Feeds 2
• Takes 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250g (9oz) cherry or baby plum tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 570g (1lb 4½oz) jarred chickpeas, with their bean stock
• 2 tbsp good-quality harissa paste

For the herby yoghurt:

• 2 garlic cloves, grated zest of 1 lemon and a squeeze of the juice
• 15g (½oz) dill or parsley, finely chopped
• 3 tsp capers / a handful of green olives, drained and chopped
• 250g (9oz) Greek yoghurt

To serve (optional):

• Warm flatbreads
• Couscous or quinoa

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5–6 minutes until blistered, soft and slightly charred. Lower the heat to medium, then add the garlic and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
2. Add the chickpeas, along with their bean stock, and bubble for 3–4 minutes until reduced by half. Stir through the harissa and simmer for 2–3 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the herby yoghurt. Adjust the seasoning and acidity to your taste, adding a squeeze of lemon juice if you like it very lemony.
4. Spoon the chickpeas into warm bowls and top with the herby yoghurt. Serve with warm flatbreads and/or cooked couscous or quinoa, if you like.

Carlin Pea Stroganoff

‘This dish is the dictionary definition of heartwarming. The bean stock helps create a glossy sauce that’s packed full of umami flavour from the mushrooms. Choose your carb accompaniment – mop up the leftovers with crusty bread, pour over silky mashed potatoes or spoon it over a big bowl of rice, baked potatoes or buttered tagliatelle.’

• Feeds 3–4
• Takes 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 500g (1lb 2oz) mixed mushrooms, roughly sliced (we like chestnut, oyster and shiitake)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves /1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 50ml (2fl oz) marsala wine or brandy
• 500ml (18fl oz) veg stock
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche or soured cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 570g (1lb 4½oz) jarred carlin peas, with their bean stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or Henderson’s Relish
• 15g (½oz) parsley, finely chopped
• Knob of butter (optional)
• Salt and pepper

To serve:

• Mashed potatoes, cooked rice,
• Baked potatoes or buttered tagliatelle
• Steamed green beans (optional)

Method:

1. Start by dry-frying your mushrooms in a large, deep-sided casserole pan over a medium-high heat. Do this in two batches, first frying half of the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until coloured and crisping at the edges, then removing to a plate and repeating with the other half. Dry-frying gives them a bit more texture.
2. In the same pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-low heat. Add the onions, along with a pinch of salt, and cook gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally so that they don’t catch. Cooking the onions slow like this will bring out a lovely caramelised flavour.
3. Add the thyme, tomato purée, sweet paprika, cayenne pepper and garlic to the onions and cook off for another 2 minutes until some of the onions start sticking to the bottom.
4. Deglaze the pan with the alcohol, then let it bubble off for a few minutes until it is reduced by half.
5. Now gradually add the stock, stirring the mixture to a smooth paste before adding more. Once all your stock is added, bring your mixture to a simmer for 2 minutes to thicken. Return the mushrooms to the pan, along with the crème fraîche, Dijon mustard and carlin peas with their bean stock.
6. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce or Henderson’s Relish, along with most of the parsley. If using, swirl through a knob of butter to give it a bit more richness. Simmer for about 3 minutes more to warm it all through and ensure the mixture is creamy and glossy.
7. Season with salt and lots of cracked black pepper.
8. Serve with the carb of your choice, topped with the remaining parsley, with some steamed green beans on the side, if you like.

Cosy Chicken + White Bean Soup

‘Think of this as a soup for the soul. It’s made using leftover roast chicken – save some of the skin for the crispy chicken-skin topping! The soup features two types of stock – chicken stock AND bean stock – creating layers of flavour. It’s super fragrant with fresh and dried herbs, and the milk addition is an old Italian trick to keep things creamy.’

• Feeds 4
• Takes 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 250g (9oz) leftover roast chicken, shredded, skin reserved for the crispy topping
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1–2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
• 100g (3½oz) kale, chard or cavolo nero, roughly chopped
• 750ml (25fl oz) chicken stock
• 250ml (9fl oz) milk
• 570g (1lb 4½oz) jarred white beans, with their bean stock
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method:

1. If you have any leftover chicken skin from your roast that’s gone all cold and flabby, this is the moment to turn it into something the table will be fighting for. Peel it off the chicken and heat a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium–high heat (you don’t want the hob too hot or you’ll risk burning the chicken skin). Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then lay the chicken skin in the pan in a single layer. Fry for 3–4 minutes on each side, moving the pieces around so they crisp up evenly. Once crisp, remove them using tongs and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave all the rendered fat in the pan to start your chicken soup.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan (use a bit less if you had lots of chicken fat), reduce the heat a little and chuck in the onion, carrot and celery. Season, stir to coat the veggies in the oil, then gently cook for 15 minutes to soften.
3. Chuck in the garlic, rosemary and oregano, and cook for a further few minutes, then add the chicken and kale, and stir everything together. Season again, then pour in the chicken stock and milk. Add the beans with their bean stock, and bring to a simmer. Add a bay leaf at this point, too, if you like. Cook for 10–12 minutes.
4. Divide between deep bowls, then top with an extra splash of olive oil and a handful of the crispy chicken skin. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Full of Beans is out now (Octopus Publishing Group, £22)