Bonfire Beans with Sauerkraut Fire Pickle
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Beans
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200 g red onion | unpeeled weight; slender petals
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 fresh garlic clove | crushed and chopped
- 1½ tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar | or red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp light soy sauce | or tamari
- 1 tbsp treacle
- 400 g chopped tomatoes | canned
- 235 g red kidney beans | drained weight
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 100 ml vegetable stock
- ¼ tsp salt | to taste
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper | to taste
Ingredients for Sauerkraut Fire Pickle
- 4 tbsp sauerkraut | use your favourite
- 1 tsp grated ginger | a very small amount to add heat without too much ginger flavour
- ½ green apple | slender julienne
- 1 tsp lemon juice | to put onto the apple julienne to prevent browning
- 1 tsp smoked oil
Instructions
Make the Bonfire Beans
- Warm the olive oil in a medium, heavy-based saucepan over a low–medium heat. Add the onion and salt.1 tbsp olive oil , 200 g red onion , ⅛ tsp salt
- Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion is soft and lightly golden around the edges. Do not hurry this stage: the onion provides much of the underlying sweetness.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so that it does not catch.1 fresh garlic clove
- Add the tomato purée. Spread it over the base of the pan and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has changed from bright red to a deeper brick red.1½ tbsp tomato purée
- Add the smoked paprika and cumin. Stir over the heat for 30 seconds. If the mixture is catching, add a little water.1 tsp smoked paprika , 1 tsp ground cumin
- Increase the heat to medium. Add the red wine vinegar and soy sauce, scraping the base of the pan as they bubble. Cook for about 30 seconds, until most of the liquid has evaporated.1 tsp red wine vinegar , 1 tsp light soy sauce
- Stir in the black treacle, followed by the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, chilli flakes and vegetable stock.1 tbsp treacle, 400 g chopped tomatoes , 235 g red kidney beans, ½ tsp chilli flakes, 100 ml vegetable stock
- Bring to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes, stirring two or three times.
- The beans are ready when the sauce has thickened sufficiently to cling to them, with no watery liquid collecting around the edge of the pan. If the mixture becomes too thick before the beans are ready, add a tablespoon or two of stock.
- Taste and season with salt and black pepper. The finished beans should taste smoky and savoury, with gentle sweetness, warmth from the chilli and a slight acidity in the background.¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Make the Sauerkraut Fire Pickle
- Put the apple into a small bowl and toss it immediately with the lemon juice. This prevents it from discolouring.½ green apple, 1 tsp lemon juice
- Add the sauerkraut, ginger and smoked oil. Mix thoroughly, cover and leave at room temperature while you cook the beans. This short resting time allows the flavours to come together without softening the apple too much.4 tbsp sauerkraut, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp smoked oil
To serve
- Spoon the beans into warm bowls and finish each serving with some of the Sauerkraut Fire Pickle.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only and will vary depending on specific ingredients used. Nutrition is per serving. Information is for the main recipe, not optional accompaniments.
COPYRIGHT
© The Golden Polar Bear, 2026. Recipe and photography by Julia Savory. If you share it, please link back to thegoldenpolarbear.com.
Ingredient Focus: Sauerkraut
Fermented cabbage might not sound poetic — but it is. Its sharp tang and subtle fizz slice through richness like a whistle in the dark.
✨ Fire in the belly — sour, bright, and alive.
To Ingredient Focus: Sauerkraut
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