Category: Dry Beans

[caption id="attachment_12187" align="aligncenter" width="660"] The frosty red orbs above are frozen roasted tomatoes that are wonderful in this soup.[/caption] Simple bean and sometimes bean and grain (often farro) soups are a mainstay of much of central and northern Italy. This is a hearty one that is better the next day and freezes well. It takes a bit of time to fully develop the flavors and textures but is worth every minute. And I suggest soaking the farro and beans together overnight, so plan ahead. Alternatively you can use already cooked/canned beans and the farro will do fine without soaking but will take a little longer to get tender.   I'm not a stickler for authenticity and sometimes use pinto beans (and added some already cooked white beans later in the process in the above version) though borlotti beans would be traditional, and excellent. So use what you have and mix and match beans if you'd like. You can also substitute barley or wheat berries for the farro (which is a variety of wheat). You can also leave out the bacon and it will still be rich and delicious. ... Read more »

This dish comes together quickly if you have cooked or canned chickpeas on hand and some roasted tomatoes in the freezer. Canned, roasted tomatoes will work perfectly as well. You can vary the herbs and spices to your taste and stretch the meat by adding egg and/or bread crumbs if you'd like. You can also substitute lamb for all or part of the beef.... Read more »

This is really just a template for a hearty, beautiful wintry salad. I like to mix cooked vegetables and salad greens and this is one way to do it.  In the winter I often cook vegetables in quantity and then use them throughout the week in a variety of ways. In this case I used cooked carrots and beets.  ... Read more »

This is a classic Tuscan dish that is made with simple ingredients and is more than the sum of its parts if you have good, home-cooked beans, fresh herbs and good olive oil. Classically it's made with borlotti (cranberry-like) beans but pinto beans work well as do any creamy bean so feel free to substitute other varieties. And small, stout tubetti (little tubes) are a more typical pasta but use whatever small-ish, stout pasta you have. Pasta fagioli often include a bit of tomato so by all means add 1/2 cup canned tomatoes or a few roasted ones if you have them.  ... Read more »

Perfectly tender, sweet winter squash stuffed with a savory filling is a lovely meal in one. Acorn squash works beautifully as does Sweet Dumpling or Jester or any small-ish squash with a nice cavity but enough flesh to make a sturdy shell. Adapt the filling to suite your taste and what you have on hand as well. Use any kind of cooked grain (or no grain and more beans), different spices, cheeses (no cheese, see above right) and herbs. ... Read more »

  This is simple, so satisfying and as with many soups, improves on day two and three and freezes well. Make a big pot and enjoy. The beans are entirely optional. I often have cooked beans on hand and they add flavor and texture but the soup is fantastic without as well.  ... Read more »

Capers and a few anchovies lend depth to this simple, comforting dish.... Read more »

This is my idea of good wintery salad. Savory with a hint of bitterness from the escarole which is rounded out by the crispy potatoes and creamy beans. Adapt as you see fit; sub crispy breadcrumbs or toasted nuts for the potatoes, skip the bacon, etc.... Read more »

  This is a perfect way to use half a batch of the wonderful Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde or store bought salsa verde. The spice level of the sauce varies considerably to taste it and if it's very mild you can add some hot pepper to the bean and sweet pepper component.   If you have already cooked or canned beans, this comes together quite quickly and is deeply flavorful. Substitute other beans, different kinds of peppers (or skip the peppers), etc. ... Read more »

This is a great dish to use up whatever bits of vegetables you have as well as cooked beans, tomato sauce and random bits of meat either already cooked or cooked in the sauce. It's more technique than recipe: cooked saucy vegetables/meat + creamy polenta with cheese, baked until bubbling!   In this particular version I used cabbage, kohlrabi, onions, kale, black beans, leftover tomato sauce, garlic and thyme. I like to chop the vegetables fairly small for this dish. ... Read more »

During my time in Italy, I ate versions of this simple, flavorful dish all over the country. It's often made it with maltagliati which means badly cut pasta, the bits and pieces of odd-shaped pasta that are left over from the commercial pasta making process. They are sold in bags, just like regular pasta. Now I use whatever I have on hand.  ... Read more »

I try to have cooked beans and chickpeas in the freezer at all times. I cook a good amount, 1 1/2-2 lbs, at a time and then refrigerate and/or freeze portions for future meals. It's just like having canned beans in the pantry but I've gotten so hooked on the flavor and texture of home-cooked ones that I've got a good routine in place that takes little effort.   This bright, hearty salad can be adapted to suit your tastes and pantry.... Read more »

--adapted from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi   This is simple, comforting and warming and makes delicious leftovers. It begs to be varied with the addition of other vegetables. Add some diced (either raw or already cooked) winter squash or most any root vegetable. If you're adding them already cooked just add them at the very end just to get heated through and marry the flavors a bit.... Read more »

I adapted this dish from the always creative Yotam Ottolenghi and Sam Tamimi from the book Jerusalem. It can be a one-dish meal as is or enjoyed with a fried or poached egg on top.   I rarely deep fry anything but it's totally worth using 3/4 cup oil (which you can reuse) to fry the onions for this dish. They are sweet, crispy and luxurious.  ... Read more »

I like to make fritters of most anything and these pack a nice punch from the hot pepper and are earthy and filling. The garlicky, minty yogurt topping delivers a bright, fresh kick. ... Read more »

The creamy, sweet beans balance the assertive radicchio. All you need is good olive oil, vinegar and salt.   In this version I used cassoulet (Tarbais) beans but you could use cannelini, navy or even corona beans or chickpeas for a slightly different but equally delicious result. And by all means add sage, rosemary or parsley or chopped salami or anything else you think would be complementary.  ... Read more »

Quickly broiling garlic scapes further sweetens this juicy, fleeting treat. The garlic scape or whistle is the flower stem and flower (usually still in bud form) that grows from hard-necked garlic plants in late spring. You can certainly use smaller white beans or chickpeas for this dish and change the herbs and nuts to suit your taste and/or what you have on hand.... Read more »

There are so many nights when I'm grateful for the work I put in at times when I don't need to put dinner on the table in 30 minutes. Things like already cooked beans and a jar of veggie bouillon base and frozen, roasted tomatoes all add so much flavor. You can just as well use canned beans and tomatoes for this quick, satisfying soup.   An onion, some celery and these pantry ingredients turn into a simple soup/stew topped with a garlicky parsley sauce. The beans, tomatoes and rosemary were so flavorful and rich I didn't need the sausage at all (but my boys, big and small, love a little meat now and then). You can make it more broth-y by adding more stock and/or bean cooking liquid, you can certainly add carrots or any kind of greens or other vegetables. You could toss in a handful of two of small pasta if that entices your eaters to enjoy it more. . .  ... Read more »

This dish makes me never tire of cooler season vegetables. I love this combination and it can be varied to use onions instead of leeks, more or less garlic and tomato, with or without bacon, etc. It's inspired by the cooking of Tuscany and farther north where beans are king and cabbage is a standby. You can make a meal of this and serve it on polenta if you'd like.   This recipe makes quite a bit but it keeps well and is delicious the following day with an egg, salad, good bread, or just as is.... Read more »

This is my idea of a perfect cool weather bowl of soup. You could make it heartier if you served the soup over a slice of toasted bread rubbed with a garlic clove. You could add bacon or sausage or any kind of leftover meat but I like the simplicity of the white beans and escarole, just finished with good olive oil and black pepper. If you have cooked white beans on hand this comes together in 30 minutes, tops.  And this is even better the next day.   For this particular batch I didn't have cooked beans on hand and didn't have time to soak so I did the oven method where I brought the dry beans to a boil on the stove top (with a carrot, some celery, garlic and bay leaves) and then put it in the oven at 275 degrees for about 2 hours until tender and creamy. I removed the veggies and bay leaf and proceeded with the recipe.... Read more »