Cannellini Beans with Balsamic Onions

This delicious meal from Lazy Cat Kitchen was the perfect dish to serve on a crisp, fall evening. It was so flavorful; the crusty bread paired well with the creamy beans and the balsamic onions - it was perfection! I will make it again and again in the chilly months to follow. Not to mention the whole meal came together in about twenty minutes - incredibly easy. I served this with a side salad and of course, warm crusty bread. This meal fed four of us, but please note my family is made up of small appetites. So if you need to feed more than four people or there are some bigger appetites in the family, you may want to double this recipe. Also, if you eat meat, you can sub out the vegan sausages for regular.

I recently discovered this vegan blog called Lazy Cat Kitchen. Everything I have made from this blogger has been pure gold (she has beautiful pictures, too). This recipe is certainly included in that. I keep going to her blog week after week for inspiration. 

Here is  Lazy Cat Kitchen's recipe word for word:

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tbsp / 30-45 ml olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic* cloves, finely diced
• 3 x 400 g / 14 oz cans of cannellini beans*
• 240 ml / 1 cup soy (or other) milk
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup shop-bought onion chutney 
• 2 tbsp / 30 ml quality balsamic
• 2 tsp / 10 ml maple syrup
• 4 vegan sausages* (optional)

Rosemary Oil:

• 80 ml / 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 8 g / 0.3 oz rosemary leaves (from 4 sprigs)

Directions: 

1. Heat up two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, add diced onion and 5-10 minutes later garlic. Sauté on low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened and fragrant but not browned.
2. 
   
3. Season with salt and pepper, then add drained beans (squash a portion of the beans with a fork for a creamier texture) and soy milk. Season again.
4. 
   
5. Simmer on low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until creamy and thickened.
6. While the beans are simmering, heat up 1 tsp of olive oil in a heavy skillet. Slice vegan sausages on the diagonal into 1.25 cm / ½” pieces and pan-fry it until lightly charred on all sides.
7. 
   
8. Once sausages are done, remove them from the pan. Add onion chutney, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup to the pan. Season well and simmer for a few minutes until thickened and caramelize.
9. 
   
10. Divide hot beans between bowls. Top with fried sausages, a spoonful of onion chutney sauce and a drizzle of rosemary oil. Enjoy with a slice of crusty bread.

Rosemary Oil:

1. Pick rosemary leaves, cut the hard ends off and chop the leaves into very fine pieces using a herb cutter, sharp knife or a mini food chopper.
2. 
   
3. Heat up olive oil in a small pot until the oil has small ripples on the surface, then take off the heat and throw all of the chopped rosemary in - rosemary should sizzle as it hits the oil but it should not turn brown (this means the oil is too hot - test with only a couple of pieces of rosemary to be sure first). 
4. 
   
5. Transfer to a small jar, and keep on the kitchen counter – use to top cooked beans, soups, pasta and hummus etc.