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February is cold and yuck and can’t it just be spring already? Cope with the cold by cooking a big old pot of beans in a dutch oven (I use this one) and eating them in their broth with crusty bread. Squeezing the roasted garlic into the broth is what takes these beans over the top.
Easy Brothy Beans
Ingredients
- 2 cups white beans
- 1 head garlic, cut in half across the middle
- 1/2 a lemon
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 shallot, cut in half
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 sprigs thyme, or whatever herbs you have around
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 cups stock broth, or water
- salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Rinse your beans and pick over to remove any small rocks.
- Heat a tsp of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Place the lemon and the garlic cut side down in the pan and cook until they begin to caramelize, 2-3 minutes.
- Add beans, onion, shallot, oil, herbs, tomato paste, caramelized garlic and lemon (and oil from the pan), and the bay leaf to a dutch oven. Cover with your liquid and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for up to 2 hours until beans are tender but not mushy. Skim the foam off the top every so often.
- Press the garlic out of its skins into the broth and stir to combine.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve in its broth with crusty bread and a shower of fresh herbs (mint works especially well). Or mix in some wilted hearty greens, like kale or chard. Squeeze some fresh lemon on top. They're your beans, do whatever you want with them 🙂
Notes
These can also be made in the oven instead of on the stovetop. Preheat your oven to 375F. Add everything except the salt, pepper, and red pepper into the dutch oven. Cover and place in the oven for 1 and a half to 2 hours, until beans are tender but not mushy. Continue with the recipe as written.
You might need to add more liquid as the beans cook. If it starts looking dry just pour some more water into the pot.
Also regarding the beans – if you remember and want to, go ahead and soak them overnight but I didn’t and they turned out great.
I LOVE THESE BEANS. They are a mouth full of delicious with every bite! So simple yet so robust in flavor! To quote the younger generations….. they slap.
Thanks, Meg! Glad you enjoyed them 🙂