White Beans with Sage

Update March 7, 2010 – Since making this recipe last year, I have made it several more times i it has become a true comfort food staple for me.  I am submitting it to this week’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesday over at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.  Because the beans taste a bit creamy (despite it being a vegan dish and using very little oil) the dish tastes indulgent and rich – and it is of course gluten-free.

I am so not ready for year-end.  As I do every year, I probably won’t officially start 2011 on Saturday, but ease into it over the next couple of weeks.  The last three of years have followed this approach and I find it oddly comforting. I am still mulling my year-end post too, though I suppose I should put that up before, you know, year-end.

In the meantime, however, I did want to share one last recipe with you before year-end – for white beans with sage.  I created these in early December and wanted to make them again before sharing the recipe with you until it hit me today – they really are perfect as is. I am lucky in that I find excellent sage at the farmer’s market and can dehydrate it at home if I don’t use up all of it right away. The resulting dried sage is fragrant and works wonderfully in this bean dish, but feel free to use fresh or dried sage.

I am submitting this to My Legume Love Affair (MLLA #30), hosted by Priya – Mharo Rajasthan’s Recipes and created by the The Well Seasoned Cook.  I always love the recipes posted, and discover new blogs through the rotating host lineup.

White Beans with Sage (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Low-Glycemic, Soy-Free, Nut-Free)
Makes 2-4 servings

• 2 tsps grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup red or yellow onion, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 medium onion)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, coarsely chopped (about 2 stalks)
• 1/2 cup carrot, coarsely chopped
• 2-3 Tbsps chopped fresh or dehydrated sage or 1 Tbsp dried sage
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth (plus more if needed)
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups white cannellini beans (or 1 15oz can of cannellini beans)
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat grapeseed oil in large skillet.  Saute garlic, onion, carrots and celery until onions are transluscent.  Add sage and cook aromatics for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Add white beans and deglaze pan with vegetable broth.  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until beans are heated through and most of the broth has evaporated.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

This recipe was wonderful as part of a lunchbox (if you are curious about my ongoing lunchbox series, click here)  As you can see, I ate the beans with baked spaghetti squash.  My husband also ate it with whole-grain toast and cheese and said the flavors of the bean dish worked well with the bread and cheese.

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