Grandma's Swabian beans (runner beans) with spaetzle

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g beans (runner beans)
• Water for soaking
• 1 kg spaetzle
• 1 large onion(s) or 2 m.-large
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp cloves, whole
• e.g. roux, dark for thickening
• 1 tbsp vegetable broth, instant
• Vinegar
• Salt
• Sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 9 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 11 hours 20 minutes

Soak the beans in water overnight. Make sure the pot is well above the fill line on the beans. The beans will grow quite a bit larger, so add plenty of water to the pot. The next day, peel the onion and stick the cloves into the whole onion. Place the onion and cloves in the pot with the beans (don’t change the water!). Add the bay leaves. Cook the beans in the soaking water (add more water if necessary). In a pressure cooker, the beans need about 50 minutes to cook. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, a regular saucepan with a lid will do, but it will take a bit longer (about 2 hours). Just test the beans every now and then to see if they’re done. When the beans are done, add the dark roux to your desired consistency and stir well. Stir in the vegetable stock, season with vinegar, salt, and sugar, and let it simmer. Meanwhile, prepare the spaetzle according to the package instructions or your own recipe. Once the spaetzle are ready, turn off the stove. To serve, transfer the spaetzle to a deep plate and top with the beans and sauce. If desired, complement the dish with warm sausage or Landjäger sausage!