Braised green beans with chickpeas and olives

This is lovely eaten soon after cooking, but arguably even better the next day. so make the dish in advance and store in the fridge for a day or two, removing it an hour or so before serving to bring to room temperature.

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE OR STARTER OR 2 AS A MAIN

⏺Oil or fat for cooking

⏺1 large onion, finely chopped

⏺2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

⏺1 tbsp tomato puree

⏺1 tsp paprika

⏺1 tsp ground cumin A pinch of dried chilli flakes 2 x 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes

⏺300g green (French) beans, trimmed 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed 100g pitted black olives, like Kalamata Sea salt and black pepper

TO SERVE

⏺4–5 tbsp natural yoghurt and/or

⏺50g feta

⏺A handful of parsley, mint or basil (or a mix), leaves picked and roughly chopped

⏺A pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional) Lemon wedges

HEAT a splash of oil or knob of fat in a flameproof casserole dish or large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and fry gently for at least 15 minutes, until very soft, golden and slightly caramelised — the more time you give the onion the better, as long as you don’t burn it! Use a little more oil during cooking, if needed. Add the garlic, tomato puree, ground spices and chilli flakes. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the tinned tomatoes, crushing them as they go in and picking out any stalky ends or bits of skin. Add a splash of water to the empty tins to get the last of the juice; add this too. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the tomato sauce is reduced and thickened. Add the green beans, chickpeas and olives and season, then simmer for a further 25 minutes until the beans are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature with yoghurt, herbs, chilli flakes, if using, and lemon wedges.