White Bean Saute
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This is a quick, quick, quick like a bunny (sorry, my mom used to say that all the time) recipe. With a few ingredients you can whip this White Bean Saute up in no time.
And it’s beans.
And it’s healthy.
Let’s get started. You’ll need olive oil, sweet onion, garlic, white beans (cannellini or great northern), tarragon (or thyme, or your favorite herb), salt, pepper and white wine. I used Pinot Grigio because that’s what I had on hand, but you could use any white wine you’d like.
Begin by heating the olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat.
When the oil is ready, add the chopped onion and garlic, and sauté for about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Adjust the heat if necessary.
Next, add the white beans, tarragon, salt and pepper. Sauté for another 3-5 minutes or so. When sautéing the beans, use a gentle hand so as not to mash the beans up. You don’t want a big pile of mush.
When the pan begins to “dry up” (I’m not a professional chef, so I don’t know what the proper terminology is), deglaze (I know that one) the pan with the white wine, which means to pour the white wine into the pan and hear it sizzle.
Continue to sauté for another four minutes, or five minutes, or six minutes…
Basically you want the wine to cook down and the beans to be warmed to your liking. So taste one. If you like it, it’s done. That’s it.
Serve alongside chicken, fish, beef, or maybe just a nice crisp salad. Other than the effortlessness of this recipe, I like the fact that it lends itself well to using as a starter for a soup or a sauce. I’ll be sharing with you how I do that in the next few weeks.
Hope you enjoy! Do you have any simple side dishes to share?
White Bean Sauté
This flavorful side dish is simple to prepare and a good pairing for fish, poultry, pork and beef.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, rough chopped (Vidalias are yummy for this!)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 oz. canned cannellini beans (or great northern beans) (I prefer Bush’s Beans.)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped (thyme would make a good substitute; if using dried herbs, use 1/4–1/2 teaspoon)
- 2-3 tablespoons white wine (again, I used Pinot Grigio, but any white wine should be fine)
Instructions
- Begin by heating the olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat.
- When the oil is ready, add the chopped onion and garlic, and sauté for about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Adjust the heat if necessary.
- Next, add the white beans, tarragon, salt and pepper. Sauté for another 3-5 minutes or so. When sautéing the beans, use a gentle hand so as not to mash the beans up to mush.
- When the pan begins to “dry up” (again, I’m not a professional chef, so I don’t know what the proper terminology is), add the white wine. Continue to sauté for another four minute or five minutes, or six minutes… or however long it takes for the wine to reduce down and the beans to be cooked to your liking. Taste a bean. If you like it, then it’s done.
(I’m excited that I’ve entered into a formal partnership with Bush’s Beans but the post above isn’t a part of that agreement. I just love beans and this recipe, and hope you enjoy it too.)
How would you alter this recipe if you were using dry beans, other than the overnight soak?
What is the sodium count for this recipe?
Just made this tonight. Added fresh spinach as well. Did not have white wine so used lemon juice. Loved this. Thank you!
I tried this recipe with shallots instead of onion and used thyme for the dried herbs. It was very tasty. Nice for a side dish.
Do you drain the beans?
Yes, I drain the beans.
Do you drain the beans? I was looking for a quick easy side with pan grilled salmon and this will be perfect. I have lemon thyme growing in my yard do will use that. Thanks for sharing!
I would drain most of the liquid out, leaving a little for extra flavor.