Ingredients

• 8 oz (225 gm) haricot beans
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 Tbsp olive oil or half olive, half vegetable oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 8 oz (150 ml) water
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp tomato sauce (puree)
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Soak the beans for a few hours, then drain and rinse. Cook them in plenty of water until nearly tender; drain. (Avoid this by using canned haricot beans.)

Heat the oil in a good sized saucepan. Add the beans and cook them very gently for about 10 minutes.

Stir in garlic, sea salt, tomato puree, thyme, bayleaf and water. You can use some of the water in which the beans were cooked.

Simmer, without a lid, until the liquid has reduced to a thick, terracotta-colored sauce and the beans are tender.

Cool and add lemon juice and onion.

Season with more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary.

Chill and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.