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–+ servings

Brothy Beans

5 from 1 review
Ah brothy beans, one of my easiest, most nutritious, and definitely most delicious and versatile recipes. I just love it so much. And if you aren't making your own dried beans yet, let me tell you, it is SO worth it. Bean broth is so flavorful and delicious (with the heaps of oregano I call this recipe "pizza beans"), and you can use these beans in many ways throughout the week. It makes a ton of food, but is so affordable, so you'll see me making a pot of brothy beans at least once every few weeks.
Prep Time 12 hours
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried beans of choice, large white lima beans are my favorite
  • 1 small yellow onion, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, quarter this if you don't like spice
  • 6 sprigs of fresh oregano
  • 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
  • 1 Parmesan cheese rind, optional, but delicious
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Instructions 

  1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, combine the beans with water to cover by 2-3 inches; get ready for them to expand as they soak. Cover and soak for 6 hours or up to overnight. If needed, add more water to keep the beans covered. When you’re ready to cook, drain the beans in a colander and rinse out the Dutch oven.
  2. Return the beans to the pot and nestle in the onion, pepper flakes, oregano, rosemary, bay leaves, garlic, Parmesan rind (if using). Pour over 1/2 cup of olive oil and 10 cups water. Bring to a soft boil, then add 1 tablespoon of salt.
  3. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes. Check for doneness, give the broth a taste and add another 1 tablespoon salt, but scale up or down to your tastes.
  4. Cover and cook until the beans are tender and creamy, without any shrively skin or tough bite, another 20 to 60 minutes, checking the bean’s doneness every now and then. Note that the less time they have to soak, the longer they will take to cook. Test a few beans before you determine a pot is done, sometimes they can vary!
  5. Once the beans are cooked through, remove the pot from the heat. Scoop out the onion, oregano and rosemary sprigs (it's ok if the leaves stay behind), bay leaves, garlic skin (again, ok if the cloves stay behind!) and Parmesan rind (if using).
  6. Now your beans are ready for use!

Notes

Note: Dried beans don’t last forever, and while the beans in your pantry from three apartments ago are probably edible, you’ll always get a better texture and taste from newer beans. For best results, cook your beans within six months of buying them (they'll cook faster, too!)