Bean Stew with Porcini Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 400 g dried white beans
• 1 bay leaf
• 250 g fresh porcini mushrooms
• 800 g plum tomatoes
• 15 sage leaves
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp Maple syrup
• Salt
• ground pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the beans, wash them and soak overnight in about 1 l of water. Then drain into a sieve, rinse again and bring to a boil with the bay leaf in 1 l of cold water; cover and simmer on low heat for 1 to 1½ hours until tender.

2. 2.

   Clean the porcini mushrooms and slice them.

3. 3.

   Parboil the tomatoes, peel, halve, core, and dice the flesh. Wash the sage leaves, cut half into fine strips. Peel and crush the garlic, then lightly sauté in a high-sided pan with hot oil. Remove from heat, stir in the sage strips, cover and set aside.

4. 4.

   In a shallow pot, cook the tomato cubes with vinegar and maple syrup over strong heat uncovered until the liquid has almost evaporated and the tomatoes have broken down into a sauce.

5. 5.

   Drain the beans and add them to the mushroom mixture along with the garlic-sage blend. Stir in the tomato sauce, season with salt and pepper, and let everything simmer on very low heat for a few minutes to meld flavors.

6. 6.

   Serve garnished with sage leaves alongside ciabatta bread.