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brothy beans with bread in a white bowl

One-Pot Brothy Beans

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  • Author: Yasmeen Ali
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Comforting one-pot brothy beans. Low maintenance, simple, easy, and a recipe that everyone should have in their arsenal.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz dry baby lima or gigante beans
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, quartered
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half, lengthwise
  • 1 lemon, cut in half, lengthwise
  • 1 small bunch of oregano, rosemary and sage
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 6 cups water*
  • 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 2 large handfuls of chopped kale
  • Shaved vegan parmesan for serving
  • Finely chopped fresh parsley for serving

Instructions

  1. Soak your beans. The night before, soak the dried beans in a bowl of water (at least 3 inches over the beans) along with 1 tbsp of kosher salt. Soaking beans (or any legume) overnight helps speed up the cooking process, plus it also reduces the phytic acid content in the beans. And less phytic acid equals increased nutrient bioavailability, specifically for zinc and iron. 
  2. Fry the aromatics. In a large pot or Dutch oven, pour in the olive oil and heat on medium-high heat until shimmering, then add in the onion, garlic, and lemon. Fry the aromatics for 5-6 minutes until browned and slightly charred; I usually put the garlic, lemon, and onion face-side down to ensure the interior gets charred. Quick note,  I prefer to keep the onion and garlic skin on; it adds more flavor and color to the broth. So don’t throw those skins!!
  3. Add the remaining ingredients. Next, add the soaked beans, herbs, chili flakes, kosher salt, and water. Stir the mixture so all the ingredients are combined, and bring to a soft boil on medium-high heat. 
  4. Cook the beans. Once boiling, keep the heat on medium-high and let the beans continue to cook until tender and soft (not mushy). My beans took a solid 2 hours to cook as they were big, but depending on the size of the bean you use, the cooking time can vary. So be sure to check your beans every 30 minutes. 
  5. Serve. Once the beans are done, add the kale and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until wilted. Next, remove the onion, garlic, lemon, and herbs. I tend to remove it as I serve the bean, that way the leftover beans can continue to soak with the aromatics overnight (which will make them even more flavorful). Serve the brothy beans in bowls, topped with shaved vegan parmesan, finely chopped fresh parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil, alongside a hunk of toasty sourdough bread.

Notes

*I used an extra 1 1/2 cups of water for my beans which were large. So if you’re using any type of large bean, go with 7 1/2 cups of water total.