Brothy White Beans

These brothy white beans infused with fresh herbs make a cozy meal packed with flavors. Easy to make (no soaking time needed), they’re delicious on their own, served with a side of crusty bread.

This dish is reminiscent of my childhood and I’m so happy and excited to share it with you. My mom used to make it on a regular basis (and still does to this day!), and I always loved the comforting flavors of brothy white beans. It was a simple dish, with absolutely nothing fancy, but loaded with earthy flavors and an irresistible herby broth.

Now let’s be honest for a minute here. Cooking dry beans has something a little intimidating at first. Do we need to soak the beans? How long will it take to cook and will my brothy beans be perfectly brothy and flavorful? Well, I’ve got great news for you! First, it’s a total myth you need to soak your beans before cooking them. But there is more: this brothy beans recipe is incredibly simple and comes together in 3 easy steps. Just be a little patient while the beans are cooking, stirring from time to time. That’s it!

The recipe ingredients

With just a few staple ingredients, you can whip up the most delicious white beans. Here’s what you need:

• Dry white beans. I used navy beans here, but cannellini or other white beans would work too. Keep in mind however that the cooking time might differ, depending on the size of the beans. Taste while cooking, to ensure they are tender.
• Onions + shallots + garlic. Yes, we use a combo of the 3 of them in these brothy white beans. Onions bring sweetness, shallots subtle flavors and garlic some sharpness to the dish. If you are sensitive to onions, you might want to use a little bit less onions or shallots.
• Fresh herbs. This play a key role in the brothy beans, make sure you use fresh herbs, not dry. Here we use a combination of thyme and bay leaves, bringing up the hearty flavors of the dish. You could add some rosemary too.
• Lemon. Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds some refreshing notes to this hearty dish.
• Seasoning. Salt and pepper are the only seasoning of the recipe. You will need about 1 ½ to 2 teaspoon(s) salt to bring up all the flavors.

How to make brothy white beans

So you’ll need just a handful of ingredients to make the recipe, and it all happens in one pot. It makes it an easy and straightforward recipe. The long cooking time is the only crucial part. But I promise it won’t require much effort. Just stir every so often, until the beans reach the right doneness. Here are the key steps to keep in mind when making brothy white beans:

• Step 1: saute onions, shallots and garlic in olive oil until fragrant.
• Step 2: add the beans, thyme, water, and simmer for 1 ½ hour or longer, until the beans are tender but still firm (you don’t want them to disintegrate).
• Step 3: add a splash of lemon juice and season at the very end of the cooking time with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as needed. And voilà!

Can I use canned beans?

I haven’t tried myself to replace dry navy beans with canned ones, but I would not recommend it, as the most important part of this recipe is to simmer the broth for a long time to bring up all the flavors. You sure could cook the broth separately and add canned and drained white beans at the very end just before serving. But if you think about it, it kind of defeats the purpose, since you’ll have to simmer the broth for a long time anyway. So you might just cook the dry beans at the same time.

How to serve brothy white beans?

I typically serve these white beans as a unique dish, with a side of crusty bread (or toasted bread drizzled with olive oil). Feel free to add some Dijon mustard too (I promise it’s amazing), freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a side of lettuce with French vinaigrette. Rustic, simple, delicious.

Variations and tips for success

• Wrap the thyme with kitchen twine to ensure there won’t be any loose stem left. It’s a tip I got from my mom!
• Taste the beans while cooking. This way, you can adjust the seasoning and ensure the beans are perfectly cooked through (they should be tender but still firm, not falling apart).
• Use vegetable stock or chicken stock instead of water. I personally like my brothy beans prepared with water infused with the herbs, but some find that using vegetable broth or even chicken stock enhance the flavors.
• Add 1 or 2 Tablespoons tomato paste to the broth for a slight flavor variation.
• Spice it up with red pepper flakes (¼ to ½ teaspoon is enough).
• Add some kale, spinach, or even cherry tomatoes to the hot brothy beans a few minutes before serving.

How to store and reheat brothy beans

Leftover beans are still very good a few days after you cooked them. Before you store them, remove any herb stem. You can reheat the white beans on the stovetop, stirring constantly until warmed through, or simply warm them up in the microwave for a few minutes. You can also freeze cooked beans in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months. Simply reheat on the stovetop until warm.

More cozy meals you’ll love:

• Vegetarian Mushroom Bourguignon
• Easy Tomato Red Lentil Stew
• One-Pot Vegan Quinoa Chili
• Lentil, Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry
• Roasted Cauliflower Dal

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