Ingredients:
400g dry white navy (haricot) beans
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 large onion, grated
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
A small bunch (like a posy) of celery, chopped finely
A few sprigs of parsley, chopped finely
2 medium carrots, sliced in thin rounds
500g fresh tomato, pulped
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
Salt, pepper and oregano
Method:
1. Boil some water in a large pot and pour the beans in. Let them cook for five minutes, then drain the water away and wash the beans
2. Apparently, beans contain certain toxins that can be eliminated by boiling them lightly in this way
3. You can use the same pot afterwards to heat the oil, and saute the onion and garlic in it
4. When they become translucent, add all the other ingredients (except the salt – it toughens dry beans and should be added towards the end of cooking time for best results) to the pot, and mix them into the oil
5. Add enough water to cover the pot with 3cm above the beans mixture and bring it to the boil
6. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to the minimum, and let the beans cook away for 1 1/2 hours
