Marry me butterbeans
Creamy, cosy and very possibly marriage material. Our meat-free take on the viral Marry Me trend brings together buttery beans, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan and basil in a rich, creamy sauce, with perfectly poached FREE eggs on top. It’s on the table in 20 minutes too. Add plenty of crusty bread for dipping and that’s dinner sorted.
Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
- 200g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped
- 1 large white onion, finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 bunch basil
- 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chilli flakes, optional
- 150ml vegetable stock
- 200ml double cream
- 400g good-quality butter beans
- 50g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 4 large FREE eggs
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- To serve
- Crusty bread
- Seasonal greens
- You will need
- Large frying pan
- Large, deep saucepan
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomato jar in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 3–4 mins, until the onion starts to soften.
- Finely chop the basil stalks, reserving the leaves for later, and add them to the pan with the sun-dried tomatoes. Fry for 2 mins, then add the paprika and chilli flakes, if using. Fry for a further 1 min, stirring continuously so the spices don’t burn.
- Pour in the stock and cream and stir through the onions and spices. Drain the butterbeans and add them to the pan with the parmesan. Season with a little salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 5 mins, until the sauce has thickened.
- Meanwhile, poach the FREE eggs. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the vinegar. Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer, then create a whirlpool in the water using a balloon whisk or spoon.
- Gently crack in the FREE eggs one at a time, allowing each to set a little before adding the next. Poach for 3–4 mins, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
- Remove the butterbeans from the heat. Roughly chop the reserved basil leaves and stir them through. Using a slotted spoon, remove the poached eggs from the water and gently place them on top of the beans.
- Grate over a little extra Parmesan, if you fancy, and serve with crusty bread for dipping and seasonal greens on the side.
