experiencelifemag.com Print › | Back › Rustic Bean Stew With Bacon and Caramelized Onions Serves four January-February 2009 4 ounces thick-sliced bacon 1 pound yellow onions, sliced 1/8-inch thick Kosher salt 4 cups cooked, drained darkish beans, such as borlotti, small red beans, or Roman beans, or black-eye peas (or three cans beans, drained, rinsed well and drained again) 2 bay leaves 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. sugar Freshly ground black pepper Place the bacon in a large (12-inch) heavy skillet. Cover and cook over moderate heat until the fat has melted out of the bacon and the pieces are crisp and brown, about seven minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan and reserve. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat. Return the pan to the heat and add the onions; toss to coat. Cover and cook until the onions are wilted and have released their juices, about five minutes. Uncover, add about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sauté until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes longer. Remove half the onions to a plate and reserve. Add the beans to the pan, along with the reserved bacon, the bay leaves, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced considerably and the mixture has a stewlike consistency, about 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, peppering generously. Spoon the beans into four shallow soup bowls. Top each serving with some of the reserved onions. Recipe excerpted from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider (William Morrow, 2006).

Rustic Bean Stew With Bacon and Caramelized Onions

Serves four

• 4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
• 1 pound yellow onions, sliced 1/8-inch thick
• Kosher salt
• 4 cups cooked, drained darkish beans, such as borlotti, small red beans, or Roman beans, or black-eye peas (or three cans beans, drained, rinsed well and drained again)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Place the bacon in a large (12-inch) heavy skillet. Cover and cook over moderate heat until the fat has melted out of the bacon and the pieces are crisp and brown, about seven minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan and reserve. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.

Return the pan to the heat and add the onions; toss to coat. Cover and cook until the onions are wilted and have released their juices, about five minutes. Uncover, add about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sauté until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes longer. Remove half the onions to a plate and reserve.

Add the beans to the pan, along with the reserved bacon, the bay leaves, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced considerably and the mixture has a stewlike consistency, about 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, peppering generously.

Spoon the beans into four shallow soup bowls. Top each serving with some of the reserved onions.

Recipe excerpted from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider (William Morrow, 2006).

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January 22, 2009

Jamie, EL Editor says:

Thanks for your comment! While we would prefer to include nutrition information with all of the recipes we feature, not all of the cookbooks provide that info, The Improvisational Cook being one of them. When it is available, we make a point to provide it in the online version of the articles. For recipes that are specially created for us (like in Inspired Kitchen), you will always find nutrition info. Thanks!

January 21, 2009

Kris-Kristy says:

For a recipe published in a healthy eating article I would have expected that the nutritional information would have been included.