Help please with a tomato sauce with beans

M

markusos1

New member
I'm pretty much the worst cook, i been getting some advice from AI but it isn't working. I'm just trying to make a sauce that is somewhat delicious. I use olive oil and put in some onion, then add some spices like italian and put in some crushed garlic, then i add diced tomatoes and sometimes cooked beans, then i cook it, it just tastes so bland, like tomatoes and beans basically. I don't get any of the spices coming through and it's eatable but that's about it. I'm trying to make a mainly vegan/veggie type of dish, so there's no meat. It's almost like i might as well just put the diced tomatoes and beans in and cook them and it would prolly taste about the same. I use a bit of salt. For the spices i use like a spoon of italian spice and a spoon of oregano and a bit of fenel seeds. So, i could use any advice, i'm probably fundamentally doing things poorly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I like to eat healthy, so, the tomato and bean base is hopefully a good start but I am willing to add anything if it will help.

I soak the beans (pinto, kidney, navy, blac, etc and cook them before adding them to the tomato.
 
markusos1 said:
I'm pretty much the worst cook, i been getting some advice from AI but it isn't working. I'm just trying to make a sauce that is somewhat delicious. I use olive oil and put in some onion, then add some spices like italian and put in some crushed garlic, then i add diced tomatoes and sometimes cooked beans, then i cook it, it just tastes so bland, like tomatoes and beans basically. I don't get any of the spices coming through and it's eatable but that's about it. I'm trying to make a mainly vegan/veggie type of dish, so there's no meat. It's almost like i might as well just put the diced tomatoes and beans in and cook them and it would prolly taste about the same. I use a bit of salt. For the spices i use like a spoon of italian spice and a spoon of oregano and a bit of fenel seeds. So, i could use any advice, i'm probably fundamentally doing things poorly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I like to eat healthy, so, the tomato and bean base is hopefully a good start but I am willing to add anything if it will help.

I soak the beans (pinto, kidney, navy, blac, etc and cook them before adding them to the tomato.
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I would try using tomato puree and a bit of tomato paste, in addition to what you're doing now. Brown sugar, as John mentioned, is a great idea. And you need to let the sauce simmer on low for a long time, to get it more concentrated and develop richer flavors.

Lee
 
Thank you all for the suggestions. The last batch i made, i think i used way too much bean. I used 1 can of diced tomatoes, (~800 ml) I like these tomatoes cause they have only 10mg of salt. But, i used 2 cups of cooked beans, instantly when i threw the beans in I kind of realized, oops, too many beans. So, I like a sauce that's runnier and that didnt' work. I'm on about my 10th batch of trying to get something more palatable. So, maybe I should just do one thing at a time, as in, just work on the tomato sauce by itself and then if I can get it decent, then, start adding smaller amounts of beans. I like the molasses idea, easy to add. And, i've been using brown sugar (forgot to mention sorry). Basically I start with evoo and chopped onions, bring em to a simmer gurgle kind of heat and then add the spices (italian and oregano) and some crushed garlic, leave it on low to get the spices to (bloom - that was AI's term). At this point i think things have maybe already gone off the rails. It smells just kind of okay, but not A STRONG SPICEY smell. Then i add the diced tomatoes and cook on low for 30 min. or more. Oh, throw is a tablespoon of brown sugar. Also forgot, sorry, i've tried using some tomato paste, it didn't seem to make a difference. So, this was the basic kind of sauce before i started adding beans, and it's basically okay, but really, can hardly taste any spice at all. Forgot, also, sometimes a quarter of a red or orange pepper as well. So, any ideas, could i use MORE spice and as Qsis mentioned, could it be that i just need to leave it simmer on low for way way longer, like an hour or more perhaps. If i did the same but added a teaspoon of molasses and simmered it for an hour, do you think that could help. Yeah, maybe i should just stick with the tomato sauce before adding any beans.
 
Welcome to NCT, Mark! Please keep us posted on how your sauces are going! We love photos!

Also, when you get the chance, please tell us a little about yourself in this thread: https://netcookingtalk.com/forums/forums/introductions-and-questions-forum.29/

We are a small, friendly group of home cooks who are fairly active on this forum every day. Looking forward to sharing with you.

Lee
 
markusos1 said:
Thank you all for the suggestions. The last batch i made, i think i used way too much bean. I used 1 can of diced tomatoes, (~800 ml) I like these tomatoes cause they have only 10mg of salt. But, i used 2 cups of cooked beans, instantly when i threw the beans in I kind of realized, oops, too many beans. So, I like a sauce that's runnier and that didnt' work. I'm on about my 10th batch of trying to get something more palatable. So, maybe I should just do one thing at a time, as in, just work on the tomato sauce by itself and then if I can get it decent, then, start adding smaller amounts of beans. I like the molasses idea, easy to add. And, i've been using brown sugar (forgot to mention sorry). Basically I start with evoo and chopped onions, bring em to a simmer gurgle kind of heat and then add the spices (italian and oregano) and some crushed garlic, leave it on low to get the spices to (bloom - that was AI's term). At this point i think things have maybe already gone off the rails. It smells just kind of okay, but not A STRONG SPICEY smell. Then i add the diced tomatoes and cook on low for 30 min. or more. Oh, throw is a tablespoon of brown sugar. Also forgot, sorry, i've tried using some tomato paste, it didn't seem to make a difference. So, this was the basic kind of sauce before i started adding beans, and it's basically okay, but really, can hardly taste any spice at all. Forgot, also, sometimes a quarter of a red or orange pepper as well. So, any ideas, could i use MORE spice and as Qsis mentioned, could it be that i just need to leave it simmer on low for way way longer, like an hour or more perhaps. If i did the same but added a teaspoon of molasses and simmered it for an hour, do you think that could help. Yeah, maybe i should just stick with the tomato sauce before adding any beans.
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You can also add dry red wine, such as Chianti or Pinot Noir to the olive oil, onion and garlic. Let the wine reduce before you add the tomato. Then add your seasoning and turn the heat down to a low simmer, uncovered. The longer it simmers, the more concentrated the flavor. 😊
 
That tomato sauce with beans sounds hearty and comforting — such a great way to add protein and texture to a classic sauce! I love seeing creative twists like this that make everyday meals more nourishing. Your idea inspires us to experiment with keto-friendly versions that keep the same rich flavor while staying low in carbs. Thanks for sharing this delicious approach!
 
Priya Dogra said:
That tomato sauce with beans sounds hearty and comforting — such a great way to add protein and texture to a classic sauce! I love seeing creative twists like this that make everyday meals more nourishing. Your idea inspires us to experiment with keto-friendly versions that keep the same rich flavor while staying low in carbs. Thanks for sharing this delicious approach!
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Thanks for your reply. Yup, it's incredibly nutritious, problem is it doesn't taste great. I tried a few of the suggestions, still the same. So, i bought a slow cooker and i'll try that. I'm still open to any suggestions on spices to add. I like to cook as simply as possible, so, i'm gonna mainly throw stuff in the cooker and all the spices i normally have been using and see what happens. Still not expecting anything great, but, i have been cooking things fast so, hopefully slow will unleash some spices.
 
i'm wondering if the spice problem is related to evoo, sauteeing the onions and then putting spices and garlic in the evoo, i don't know if the evoo is helping, if i just sauteed in water, do you all think that could make a difference? maybe the evoo is hindering the blooming spices..
 
markusos1 said:
i'm wondering if the spice problem is related to evoo, sauteeing the onions and then putting spices and garlic in the evoo, i don't know if the evoo is helping, if i just sauteed in water, do you all think that could make a difference? maybe the evoo is hindering the blooming spices..
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Would you consider trying an excellent brand of jarred marinara, like Rao's?

Lee
 
QSis said:
Would you consider trying an excellent brand of jarred marinara, like Rao's?

Lee
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if the jarred stuff didin't have so much salt, i would surely just add to it; that's what my wife does, she just adds her own stuff to a jar, but, i need to avoid salt, and i spend summers in another country golfing.. so i have to cook for myself. also, i figure, if the jar companies can make a good sauce why can't we make one from scratch, it can't be just the salt that makes those sauces pretty tasty, or is it? lol... actually, i've tried quite a few brands and they didn't taste that great, though, i don't think i've tried that brand Rao...
 
markusos1 said:
if the jarred stuff didin't have so much salt, i would surely just add to it; that's what my wife does, she just adds her own stuff to a jar, but, i need to avoid salt, and i spend summers in another country golfing.. so i have to cook for myself. also, i figure, if the jar companies can make a good sauce why can't we make one from scratch, it can't be just the salt that makes those sauces pretty tasty, or is it? lol... actually, i've tried quite a few brands and they didn't taste that great, though, i don't think i've tried that brand Rao...
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Ah, I understand. Yes, I do think that salt makes things tastier and it stinks that you can't have it.

Lee
 
okay. my take.

buy canned whole tomatoes. no citric acid added to the whole stuff, so the fruit will break down further in cooking. our strategy is to highlight the tomatoes. I would use half the can of a 28oz container. I like Cento brand.

olive oil (more than you imagine. 3 tablespoons or so). toss in some slivered onions (one small onion), and a pinch of salt. sweat the onions until soft. me, I would not get them browned. you do you.
big pinch of red pepper flakes. the stuff you sprinkle on pizza.
knife smash a couple of garlic cloves. toss those in. let those sizzle a bit to infuse the oil.
to stop the garlic from burning, I would now add a small splash of white wine. cook the wine away.
in goes the whole tomato, which you had in a big bowl and you used your hands to smash and break up the fruit.
big pinch of salt.
get it simmering. taste it for seasoning. add black pepper.
once it taste like a bright fresh tomato product, dump in a drained can of Cannelloni beans. warm them thru. if you're feeling fancy whisk in a pat of butter. dump in a handful of sliced basil, or some herbage. parsley would work.

break up a baguette and go to town.
 
Hobieperson said:
okay. my take.

buy canned whole tomatoes. no citric acid added to the whole stuff, so the fruit will break down further in cooking. our strategy is to highlight the tomatoes. I would use half the can of a 28oz container. I like Cento brand.

olive oil (more than you imagine. 3 tablespoons or so). toss in some slivered onions (one small onion), and a pinch of salt. sweat the onions until soft. me, I would not get them browned. you do you.
big pinch of red pepper flakes. the stuff you sprinkle on pizza.
knife smash a couple of garlic cloves. toss those in. let those sizzle a bit to infuse the oil.
to stop the garlic from burning, I would now add a small splash of white wine. cook the wine away.
in goes the whole tomato, which you had in a big bowl and you used your hands to smash and break up the fruit.
big pinch of salt.
get it simmering. taste it for seasoning. add black pepper.
once it taste like a bright fresh tomato product, dump in a drained can of Cannelloni beans. warm them thru. if you're feeling fancy whisk in a pat of butter. dump in a handful of sliced basil, or some herbage. parsley would work.

break up a baguette and go to town.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much and for a long response also. I bought the whole tomatoes and hoping that will make some difference. Great tips thanks again.
 
markusos1 said:
Thank you very much and for a long response also. I bought the whole tomatoes and hoping that will make some difference. Great tips thanks again.
Click to expand...

Keep us posted, Mark. One of these days you'll hit on the flavor and texture you're looking for!

Lee
 
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