Brothy Beans with Fennel + Parmesan

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. Brothy beans are having a little bit of a moment right now in the food world, and these Brothy Beans with Fennel and Parmesan are my spin. Pile them onto some olive oil sourdough toasts and finish with a spritz of lemon and you've got the most satisfying, hearty-yet-light meal.

This Brothy Bean Recipe can be made with any dried bean you love

I chose to use these cranberry beans, also called borlotti beans, because they are beautiful and I had a bag in my pantry. I actually 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, but 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 so I left them out. 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.

Parmesan rinds are like the secret flavor weapon of the recipe world.

Parm rinds 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 and squirrel them away in your freezer until you need them. Some stores even sell little bag of rinds too.

How to serve these 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.

I hope you'll give this brothy bean 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

Brothy Beans with Fennel + Parmesan

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
• Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: about 8 cups of brothy beans 1x

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Description

These Brothy Beans with Fennel + Parmesan are simple, elegant, and delicious. A savory, herby broth full of tender beans finished with fresh lemon juice.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

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

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Instructions

1. Place all brothy bean ingredients in a large pot.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Keywords: brothy beans, brothy bean recipe, dried bean recipe