This brothy beans recipe is pure comfort. There are few things that remind me more of my dad than a pot of beans bubbling away on the stove. The can't-be-rushed process, the aroma, the transformation of a humble ingredient into an elegant meal - it all makes me think of him in the kitchen and it is the epitome of what I love about cooking. These beautiful cranberry beans are dressed up just a bit, but they still have all the humble simplicity I love about dried beans. Pile these brothy beans with fennel and parmesan onto some garlicky, olive oil sourdough toasts, finish with a spritz of lemon and you've got the most satisfying, hearty-yet-light meal.
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Recipe Background
This Brothy Beans Recipe can be made with any dried bean you love.
I chose to use cranberry beans, also called borlotti beans, in this recipe. Why? Because they are beautiful and I had a bag in my pantry. I grew this variety in my garden the last two years, but we ate them as fresh, young green beans. Maybe one year I'll muster up the courage and ambition to grow enough of them to make drying worthwhile. Until then I'll continue to buy them online.
As for the broth, I love the flavor combination of fresh fennel and parmesan. Roasted fennel with parm is one of my favorite things, so why not take those same flavors and add them to this broth? A few seasonally appropriate herbs from my fall garden, some shallots and garlic, et voilà, an incredibly flavorful pot of brothy beans with like zero effort. Normally I would add celery and maybe a carrot, but I really wanted the fennel and parm flavors to shine. And I should mention, I don't love raw fennel but the flavor completely transforms after it's cooked. Your broth will not taste like licorice, I promise.
Can I make brothy beans with canned beans?
Yes, absolutely. You will reduce the water by half and reduce the cooking time to about an hour. Basically you just want the broth to have time to infuse with all of those delicious aromatics and for the beans to soften a bit.
Ingredients for Brothy Beans
For the Brothy Beans:
- 2 cups dried beans
- 1 parmesan cheese rind
- 1 bulb of fresh fennel, trimmed and halved
- 1 head of garlic, halved
- 2 shallots, halved
- a few sprigs of fresh sage
- a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cups water
To Serve:
- Sourdough toasts
- lemon wedges
- extra virgin olive oil
- chopped fresh herbs
Parmesan rinds are like the secret flavor weapon of the recipe world. They add so much flavor to soups, stews, tomato sauces, and in this case - brothy beans! Anytime you buy parm, look for one with the rind on. Save them and squirrel them away in your freezer until you need them. Some stores even sell little bags of rinds too.
How to serve Brothy Beans
Now, here's the best part: When your beans are done, take a few slices of sourdough bread and toast them in a skillet with plenty of olive oil on both sides. When nice and toasty, remove from the pan and rub with a piece of garlic. Place these toasts in a bowl and ladle over some of the beans. Drizzle with olive oil, spritz with fresh lemon, and dig in.
FAQ's
Yes you can use chicken broth instead of water to cook your brothy beans. Keep in mind the beans will not be vegetarian if you choose to do this.
Covering the beans while they simmer will prevent evaporation and result in a more tender bean. If you simmer them uncovered they will be firmer and the water or broth will evaporate more quickly so keep an eye and top them off with more water or broth as needed.
I prefer a smaller white bean for brothy beans that is very tender when cooked such as navy beans, cannellini or white kidney beans, cranberry or borlotti beans are all good choices but you really can use almost any bean you enjoy eating. You can even use canned beans to make brothy beans, you will just want to reduce the liquid by half and reduce the cooking time to about 1 hour until the aromatics have softened and the beans have softened a bit.
Related Recipes
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Slow Cooker White Bean and Sausage Soup
- Hearty Beef and Barley Soup
- Moldovan Borscht Soup
I hope you'll give my brothy beans recipe a try. Let me know if you do by leaving a comment and rating below! Also, tag me on Instagram @wild.thistle.kitchen - I love seeing you all make my recipes. xo - Anita
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Brothy Beans with Fennel + Parmesan
These Brothy Beans with Fennel + Parmesan are simple, elegant, and delicious. A savory, herby broth full of tender beans finished with fresh lemon juice.
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: about 8 cups of brothy beans
Ingredients
For the Brothy Beans:
- 2 cups dried beans
- 1 parmesan cheese rind
- 1 bulb of fresh fennel, trimmed and halved
- 1 head of garlic, halved
- 2 shallots, halved
- a few sprigs of fresh sage
- a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cups water
To Serve:
- Sourdough toasts
- lemon wedges
- extra virgin olive oil
- chopped fresh herbs
Instructions
- Place all brothy bean ingredients in a large pot.
- Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a very low simmer. Cover but leave lid slightly ajar so some steam escapes. Cook until beans are tender. This can take anywhere from 1-2 hours or even a bit more if your beans are old. Just test a bean or two after an hour and then keep checking at 30 minute intervals. I like my beans very soft, but if you like them more firm just stop cooking them sooner. If you find too much liquid is evaporating before your beans are cooked, just add a bit more water as needed.
- When beans are soft, taste broth and adjust salt to taste. Remove any of the ingredients you don't plan on eating (herb stems, shallot and garlic skins, etc) But make sure to save some of those soft, cooked garlic cloves for serving. Just squeeze them right out into the broth.
- To serve: Place a piece or two of toasted sourdough in a shallow bowl, ladle over beans and broth, spritz with fresh lemon, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on a few fresh herbs if desired, and dig in.
Notes
Nope, I did not skip a step - I don't soak my beans for this. If you prefer to soak your beans, be my guest. I find in this type of recipe it makes no difference.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
Carolina says
I'm making this now. It smells delicious! I used dried Borlotti beans. Can't wait to have it for dinner! Thank you!
Dawn says
I tried this recipe using buckeye beans (which I did soak overnight), and was so pleased with the wonderful flavors. The garlic-rubbed sourdough toast was a great accompaniment.
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Oh this makes me so happy! Thank you!! I have not tried buckeye beans but I just did a quick search and feel like I'm going to have to order some! Thanks for the kind feedback - it means so much.
Claire says
Such a simple and delicious recipe! And I love that you don't soak the beans first!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!!
Claudia says
So simple, yet so very divine. This will be on repeat throughout the cold season. Might stock my freezer with it too, you know, for a quick fix.
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Thank you! This makes my day. I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Christina says
Re garlic head - do I peel first ?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Nope - just halve it right down the middle and add to the pot as shown in photos. 🙂 You will remove it at the end and if you want, you can squeeze the soft, cooked garlic out for serving. So good!
Jackie says
Making this right now! So very exited!!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Jackie! I'm so glad you made it! Would love to hear how it turned out! xo - Anita
Uzzi says
Hello, do you simmer with lid on or off?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hello, I just added a note to the recipe - I simmer with lid on but slightly ajar. Thanks for catching that detail I left out!