This master cannellini beans recipe is the nutritious and inexpensive way to transform dried, shelf-stable white beans into the centerpiece of your healthy meal prep and batch cooking goals.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword cannellini beans
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 3 hourshours
Soaking Time 8 hourshours
Total Time 11 hourshours13 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Calories 289kcal
Ingredients
⅓cupextra-virgin olive oil
½yellow onion, chopped
4clovesgarlic, peeled and smashed
1pounddried cannellini beans, rinsed, picked over, and soaked in water by 2 inches for 8 hours up to 24 hours
1bouquet garni, or bay leaf and sprigs of thyme, parsley, rosemary, or marjoram
1tablespoonkosher salt
Instructions
In a large, heavy bottom pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and the onions soften. Add the cannellini beans with their water and the chicken stock. Add more water to cover the beans by 3 inches. Add the bouquet garni or herbs on their stems with the kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Skim off the foam and discard. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook at a gentle simmer for about 2 hours. Add more water if needed to keep the beans submerged.
Once the beans are cooked to your desired tenderness, remove them from the heat and discard the boquet garni (or herb stems). Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately or at room temperature, and refrigerate the leftover beans in their cooking liquid for up to 1 week.
Notes
For faster cooking time and a more tender bite, allow at least 8 hours ahead of cooking to soak the beans first. If preferred, remove the onion after cooking by using a quartered onion instead of chopped.