Veggie bean casserole with pesto garlic croûtes
By:
Jen Bedloe
Former head of food delicious.
- Published: 2 Dec 21
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
This hearty fennel and bean casserole makes a great vegetarian option for lunch or a Christmas buffet. Serve with crisp pesto toasts.
Want more heat? Try our spicy bean stew with crispy cauliflower topping.
Ingredients
- Splash olive oil
- 2 red onions, cut into chunks
- 1 fennel bulb, cut into chunks
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 bushy rosemary sprigs, 1 left whole, 1 leaves stripped and finely chopped
- 200ml red or dry white wine
- 400g tin crushed tomatoes, plus half a tin water
- 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 450g jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into strips
- 50g green olives (pitted or unpitted)
- 50g capers or caperberries, rinsed
- 700g jar butter beans (or 2 x 400g tins), drained
- 1 ciabatta, sliced 1-2 cm thick
- ½ x 165g jar good quality pesto (vegetarian if needs be)
- 25g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
Method
- Put a splash of oil in a shallow casserole, then fry the onions, fennel, garlic, bay leaf and rosemary sprigs with some salt and pepper for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the veg have taken on some colour and are becoming tender.
- Add the wine to the pan, then use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Stir in the tomatoes and water along with the balsamic vinegar, peppers, olives, capers/ caperberries and beans, then bring up to a fast simmer. Turn down the heat and simmer gently on a low-medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs, then stir in the chopped rosemary.
- Meanwhile, heat the grill and toast the bread, then top with plenty of pesto and the cheese. Serve with the casserole.
- Recipe from December 2021 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 279kcals
- Fat
- 9.6g (1.1g saturated)
- Protein
- 9.7g
- Carbohydrates
- 30.1g (6.2g sugars)
- Fibre
- 7.7g
- Salt
- 1.2g
delicious. tips
You can make the bean casserole up to a day ahead. Cover and chill, then reheat until piping hot to serve. The croûtes are best made fresh on the day.
Buy ingredients online
Rate & review
Rate
Reviews
Save recipe
Casserole recipes
Italian bean casserole
This vegetarian Italian bean casserole recipe is made with two...
-
Easy
Save recipe
Healthy family meals
Quick butternut and bean stew with cauliflower ‘rice’
Serving this butternut and bean stew, with rice made from...
-
Easy
Save recipe
Garlic recipes
Garlic and white bean stew with gremolata
Inspired by the Spanish stew ‘caldo gallego’, this white bean...
-
Easy
Save recipe
Discover one-pots
Pork and root vegetable casserole with fennel and mustard dumplings
Pork is slow-cooked until succulent with cider, apples and root...
-
Easy
Subscribe to our magazine
Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.
Subscribe
Unleash your inner chef
Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter