Red Beans in Tomato Sauce
A hearty, nourishing dish — and easy to make! Red beans in tomato sauce, to my mind, are the kind of dish you really should make from time to time no matter your diet or eating restrictions. Legumes simply belong on the table for vegetarians and anyone observing a fast — they're a great source of protein! And cooking beans in tomato is one of the simplest, most accessible ways to get legumes on the table quickly and without much fuss.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
To make red beans in tomato sauce, start with the dried red beans themselves. You can buy them at the market, and they're not expensive. Also get tomato paste (or tomato sauce), a carrot, vegetable oil, salt, and seasonings to taste.
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Step 2:
Rinse the beans and soak them in clean water overnight. Then put them in a pot, cover with fresh clean water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for about 30–40 minutes, until the beans are completely soft. Drain the cooked beans in a colander, but save the cooking liquid.
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Step 3:
While the beans cook, rinse, peel, and coarsely grate the carrot. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet, add the grated carrot, and sauté over medium heat, stirring, for 5–7 minutes, until it softens.
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Step 4:
Add the cooked beans and the tomato paste to the softened carrot (you can use a ready-made tomato sauce you like instead). Pour in a little of the bean cooking liquid — how much depends on how thick you want the finished dish, allowing for a bit more reduction. Add seasonings to taste and salt.
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Step 5:
Stir everything together in the skillet. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, over low heat for 5 minutes.
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Step 6:
The red beans in tomato sauce are ready. Serve them however you like — they're great hot, warm, or even chilled, making an excellent side dish and a tasty snack!
- For seasonings, I use ground black pepper, asafoetida, and — highly recommended — smoked paprika, which adds a gorgeous, subtle smoky note.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Carrots - 33 kcal/100g
- Dried carrots - 275 kcal/100g
- Boiled carrots - 25 kcal/100g
- Vegetable oil - 873 kcal/100g
- Tomato paste - 28 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Dried spices - 240 kcal/100g
- Red beans - 93 kcal/100g
