Meera Sodha’s Vegan Recipe for Summer Beans with Basil Aioli

 

Summer beans with basil aioli from Meera Sodha. Issy Croker/The Guardian, photo Styled food and accessories by Kitty Coles. Susanna Unsworth, the food assistant.

With a basil mayonnaise-style sauce and a garlicky tomato sauce, green beans and cannellini beans are served.

I once consumed a fish soup that was generously dolloped with aioli, and boy was that a day. It was more enjoyable to stir a little (or a lot) of something rich, powerful, and creamy into the warm, light soup rather than how delicious the soup or the aioli was. The soup got richer as I continued to stir it. Greens and beans, which I believe both respond well to creaminess, have been employed as vehicles in this light summer stew to recreate.

Summer beans with basil aïoli

You’ll need a blender or stick blender to make the aioli.

Prep 10 min

Cook 40 min

Serves 2

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200g silken tofu (drained weight)

5 garlic cloves, peeled, 3 minced

1¼ tsp fine sea salt

1½ tbsp lemon juice

20g picked basil leaves, plus extra to serve

7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

6 sticks celery (400g net), finely chopped

1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato puree

200g green beans, halved

150ml white wine

1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained

In a blender (or with a stick blender), blitz together the tofu, the two whole peeled garlic cloves, a quarter-teaspoon of salt, lemon juice, the basil leaves, and three tablespoons of oil, then transfer to a serving bowl.

When the remaining four tablespoons of oil are hot, add the celery and onion to the medium-to-large saucepan and cook, stirring frequently for 20 minutes, until reduced and caramelized. Cook, stirring, for two minutes after adding the three minced cloves of garlic, then add the tomato puree, the last teaspoon of salt, and the green beans. For about six minutes, add the wine and let it evaporate. After adding the 600 ml of freshly heated water and the cannellini beans, simmer for five to seven minutes until the beans are cooked, then turn off the heat.

Divide the beans between two bowls and top each with a few basil leaves, enough more olive oil, and a dollop of basil aioli.