Category: Dry Beans

This simple but thick and luscious soup is a mainstay of Tuscan cooking and used to be made by re-cooking (ribollire) yesterday's minestrone and simmering it over stale bread in this second incarnation. I make it all in one go, as do many Italians, but it is even better the next day. It takes a while to make unless you are using already cooked beans, but it is worth the time.   Ribollita calls for a modest list of ingredients and the bread and some good olive oil are important. And it's extra good if you have some roasted tomatoes to use, but canned is just fine.  ... Read more »

I invented this salad one evening for a dinner party with a theme of chimichurri--the hosts were grilling lots of meats and guests were asked to bring chimichurri (the herby vinegary Argentinian sauce) and/or a side dish. It turned out to be one of those fortuitous creations that bears making over and over again. It holds up really well (up to two days later it's still good) so it's great for summer potlucks and picnics.   I have used various white beans, from large ones called Mortgage Runner beans that is not commonly available to Purgatorio, Cannellini, or Tarbais/Tarbesque, etc. Change the ratio of beans to peas to shrimp however you'd like. And skip the shrimp if you'd like. It's fantastic without! [caption id="attachment_8152" align="alignleft" width="640"] Without shrimp.[/caption]... Read more »

  This is a sort of super simplified cassoulet-like dish but really so much simpler that I'm not sure the reference is legitimate. I was in a hurry the night I made this and decided against sautéing the onion and garlic separately and just added it raw to the beans and herbs. It turned out mellow and rich and sweet so you can save yourself that step. So if your beans are already cooked this takes 5 minutes to put together and another 35-45 to bake. I tend to air heavily on the bean side and light on the meat side but by all means add more sausages or other meat (leftover pork or duck of any kind would be great) if you'd like.   Variations Make a vegetarian version by omitting the meat and adding 1 teaspoon of smoked or regular paprika and top the beans with plenty of coarse bread crumbs and a drizzle of olive oil. ... Read more »

--inspired by Richard Stewart from The Gumbo Shop   Gumbo Z'herbes or Gumbo Zav or Gumbo Verte are all names for the the green gumbo often made during lent in New Orleans. There are dozens of versions of Gumbo Z’herbes, some with meat, some without, some with up to 13 kinds of greens.   This makes a big pot of soup but it’s hardly worth making a smaller batch. And it gets better with age and freezes well. This takes about 60-90 minutes to make (excluding the bean soaking time), including all the washing and chopping, depending on how fast of a chopper you are. You can also used canned beans in a pinch.   Serves 12... Read more »

In the summer when I don't want to turn on the stove and do much cooking, I rely on already cooked beans, chickpeas, and grains for quick, satisfying meals, often in the form of salads. Here's a version that is begging for adaptations based on what you have in your CSA share, garden, etc.   This is a meal-in-one and can be adapted and scaled as you see fit. Vary the grains, herbs, and onions based on what you have on hand.  ... Read more »

There are many dishes with some kind of bean and some kind of green on this site. This combination of the rich, creamy beans with the sometimes spicy or slightly bitter greens is one of my favorite flavor pairings. The thinly sliced onions soaked in red wine vinegar adds another dimension to this dead simple dish. As per usual you can adapt the quantities and ratio to suit your tastes or your pantry/fridge.  ... Read more »

This combination is reminiscent of the White Bean, Albacore and Arugula Salad. I think of this as the late summer version with a bit more sweetness and color, thanks to the peppers. As with most salads, you can scale this up or down, however, you'd like and you can change the ratio of beans to vegetables to suit your taste and what you have on hand. Just taste and adjust the dressing accordingly.  I tend to make a good amount of this salad since it keeps well and makes a good lunch the next day.  ... Read more »

This can be adapted in any way you want. If you like spice by all means add more jalapenos or Czech Black peppers. Feel free to add lots of chopped cilantro and/or parsley.  ... Read more »

  Versions of this dish are made all over the Caribbean though not necessarily with this many vegetables. It’s a satisfying one-dish meal and very easy to prepare and a great way to integrate fresh produce into the main dish itself. It’s a pantry dish in that basically all you need is rice, beans, onion, garlic and coconut milk. And if you have tomatoes and celery or greens of some kind, great!  ... Read more »

This is more technique than recipe and is one of those that can be endlessly adapted and is a good template.  ... Read more »

--adapted from Bean by Bean by Crescent Dragonwagon   When you next bake some sweet potatoes, bake a few extra. And if you already have cooked black beans on hand or cans in the pantry (or the urge to make a big pot of beans to use for then and freeze the rest) then this will be a very simple dish to pull together. The green beans add color and texture and the combination is just too good not to make. And you'll have dressing left over and it is good on grains, meat, eggs, roasted veggies. . . .   This hearty salad is perfect for pairing with a spicy main dish like jerk-style chicken, tofu or eggplant and it’s a great lunch on it’s own.   Serves 4 to 6... Read more »

I am a bean evangelist (delicious, inexpensive, shelf stable, etc.) I love adding whatever cooked beans I have in the fridge to salads made with whatever I have on hand. It’s an excellent template. This is a favorite lunch or quick addition to dinner. Quantities and ratios are up to you.  ... Read more »

 Note: There are many theories about the best way to cook dry beans. I particularly like this one but find whatever method works best for you! Do give this a try if you are not yet in the habit of cooking beans. I recently borrowed an Instant Pot and was impressed with the way it cooked beans.    The two most important things you can do to get hooked on cooking your own dry beans are: Cook a lot of beans to refrigerate and use over 5-6 days and/or freeze for future use. Let the beans cool in their cooking liquid for at least 1-2 hours. This vastly improves their flavor and texture. You do not need to refrigerate them while they’re cooling. Just leave them in the pot on the stove (with burner off) until they’re cool. Then refrigerate what you think you’ll use up in 5 days and freeze the rest. Keep as much of the cooking liquid as you can–it’s wonderful in soups, as a broth on its own, to loosen up beans when making a spread or refried beans, etc. and it also protects them in the freezer.   Place dry beans in a bowl covered by about 4 inches of cold water. Soak for 4-8 hours (or up to 24). If you can’t get around to cooking them after 24 hours, you can drain them and refrigerate them for another day before cooking with no ill effects.   Drain beans and put soaked beans in a large pot and cover with cold water by several inches. If you have time, add a couple of whole, peeled garlic cloves, a bay leaf and a chunk of peeled onion, but skip if you don’t. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and let cook covered until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally (this helps prevent some beans from softening before others.) I add salt towards the end of the cooking time and when you do add salt, be generous, as in at least 1 teaspoon sea salt for every 1 cup or so of dried beans. They will likely need more still. The time it takes for the beans to cook will vary depending on the kind/size of bean and the freshness of the dried beans. Pinto types typically take about 30-35 minutes, smaller white and black beans as little as 25. Let beans cool in their liquid (see above). Cooked beans keep in the refrigerator for 5-6 days and for several months in the freezer. To freeze: Fill container (1/2 pint, pint or quart—smaller sizes are good for quicker thawing and for quesadillas, burritos, salads & larger ones are good for soups/stews/chilis) with cooked, cooled beans. Cover with cooking liquid and freeze. Remember to put them out to thaw on the counter in the morning or the night before you need them or run hot water over the container and put the whole chunk of frozen beans/bean cooking liquid in a saucepan and thaw on low heat. Beans do not thaw well in the microwave—they go bad very quickly after thawing this way. Slow-cooked Oven Beans You can cook soaked or un-soaked beans slowly in the oven as well. Cooking time will depend on whether you soaked them and the size/type of bean.   Preheat oven to 275 Put beans in a heavy ovenproof pot for which you have a lid. Cover with water by 4 inches. Add a few cloves of peeled garlic, sprigs of thyme, sage, and/or parsley, a chunk of onion and a generous splash of olive oil. Bring the pot of beans to a boil on the stovetop, then transfer to the oven and cook, covered with just a small crack for steam, until tender. Give the beans a stir after about an hour and check to be sure there's plenty of liquid. Soaked beans tend to take about 2.5 hours with this method and up to 4 hours for un-soaked beans. When tender, remove from oven, salt generously and let cool to absorb salt. Use and store as described above.... Read more »

This is more of a template than a recipe and one of many greens and beans dishes you'll find on this site. Any bean and any green will work here. Canned beans are fine too.  ... Read more »

This is really just a suggestion of ingredients to combine and a loose technique. You can add sweet peppers, hot peppers, spices, other herbs and/or add cheeses or toasted nuts and even omit the avocado, as in the version above. It's simple to quickly toss together ingredients like this and have a vibrant dish for any time of day.   If you don't have time to roast squash in the oven and have one that's easy enough to peel or doesn't need peeling, like delicata, then you can just sauté the squash in a large, skillet in about 10 minutes.   Quantity is completely up to you, as are the ratios. Just taste and adjust with citrus and other seasonings.... Read more »

--adapted from Food and Wine via smittenkitchen.com   This is creamy, delicious and robust.   You can certainly use risotto rice but the barley is a fun alternative. You can also vary the vegetables to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. You could add a diced sweet pepper to the onions at the beginning or use spinach instead of escarole, skip the beans and use diced winter squash. . . you get the idea.    Serves 4 ... Read more »

I think this was inspired by a photo in Yotam Ottolenghi’s book Plenty but it came about in a great hurry one night when I had cooked chickpeas on hand and a few other things in the crisper and dinner needed to happen soon. Also, my son loves pretty much any dhal or Indian-inspired dish so I added cumin and brown mustard seeds to this dish and sure enough, he loved it. If you have carrots on hand by all means use a couple here if you'd like. ... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_20729" align="aligncenter" width="660"] I actually didn't have leeks for this version and just used 1 1/2 large onions. It was still delicious.[/caption]   For more on this soup see this post. But mostly just make it. If you have cooked (or canned) beans on hand this soup comes together in 20-30 minutes and is a very satisfying one-dish meal.  ... Read more »

--inspired by Jamie Oliver   This is delicious, fast (if you have cooked chickpeas on hand or if you use canned), easy and nutritious. The rosemary, garlic, celery, carrot and hot pepper combine for a surprisingly rich flavor base. The shape of the pasta is important so if you can find little tubes (tubetti or ditalini) use those. If not, small elbow macaroni can work.   ... Read more »

--inspired by 101cookbooks.com   This is a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. The sweetness of the carrots and creaminess of the beans is balanced with the fresh garlic and dill and finally the cool creaminess of Greek yogurt.   If you have cooked white beans (or canned) on hand this dish comes together in 15 minutes.... Read more »