You will absolutely ADORE these brothy beans! Dried white beans cook in a flavorful stock of aromatics, parmesan rinds, and spices until creamy and buttery. The beans are then served in their broth, with lots of peas, asparagus, and lemon, for a vibrant spring dinner.
I love a good pot of brothy beans simmering away on the stove!
One of my favorite methods involves cooking dry beans in a few rinds of parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino cheese for a rich, umami flavor. I add a slew of aromatics to round out the flavor.
Why You'll Love These Beans
I've used this method multiple times, and it's so delicious. Here's why you should try this recipe:
- Soaking dried beans in salted water is a surefire way to achieve evenly cooked, well-seasoned beans with a creamy texture.
- Gently simmering the beans with parmesan rinds and tons of aromatics (think garlic, onion, black peppercorns, herbs, and whatever else you have lying around) yields a flavorful and downright addicting broth.
- Serving the beans with peas, asparagus, and lemon balances the broth's richness and brightens the dish.
Oh and one other thing? This recipe is infinitely adaptable and make-ahead-friendly! Once you master the technique of cooking beans, you can flavor it how you like! See the 'Variations' section for more details.
For more bean recipes, try my breakfast beans, Mediterranean chickpea soup, or white bean risotto.
Key Ingredients
For the Broth:
💡Ingredients Note💡
You'll be simmering the beans and aromatics together in liquid. After the beans cook through, you'll need to fish out the aromatics, spices, etc. from the broth.
To make it easier to sift through the beans, you can simmer the vegetables and spices in a spice sachet.
Either way, make sure to use whole vegetables (instead of chopped veggies) so you can easily remove them with tongs.
- Dried Beans: Select a creamy dried white bean, such as cannellini beans or great northern beans. Ayocote blanco is another small variety with a velvety texture. My favorite brands for beans are Rancho Gordo, Primary Beans, and Baer's Best.
- Tip: Make sure to sift through your beans and discard any small stones or rocks. Beans that are wrinkled, shriveled, or discolored should also be thrown out.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Rinds: Parmesan rinds are one of my favorite umami enhancers in cooking. If you use a lot of cheese in cooking, you can save them over time and store the rinds in an airtight bag in the freezer. Nowadays, many grocery stores also offer a bulk container of rinds perfect for broth!
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Beans love fat, so please don't be shy here with the oil!
- Aromatics: At a minimum, I recommend cooking your beans with garlic cloves and onion, but celery, carrots, and even parsnips or fennel will add even more flavor.
- Spices: I often add chili flakes (or whole dried chilies) and black peppercorns for a bit of heat. If you're spice sensitive, you can omit the chili!
- Herbs: Try a combination of woodier herbs, such as fresh rosemary or fresh thyme, and softer herbs, such as parsley or basil.
For Serving:
- Lemon: Lemon juice is key to balancing out the rich, complex flavors of the broth. A little bit of acid will go a long way here!
- Spring Vegetables: I call for peas (fresh or frozen both work!) and asparagus. But other vegetables, such as spinach, kale, or fennel, would be great here too.
Do I Need to Soak My Beans?
To soak or not to soak, that is the question! The answer? It depends. After several experiments, I've come to the following conclusions:
- Fresh beans (that are within 1-2 years of harvest) will cook more evenly and quickly than dried beans, even without soaking. Older beans DO need to soak.
- If you have the time, I recommend soaking your beans for a couple of hours, but if you're using fresh beans, you can definitely get away without it!
- Do note that even fresh (unsoaked) beans will take longer to cook than pre-soaked beans, and they will require more water.
If you do soak your beans, salt the water first! It's a myth that salting beans makes them hard.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1: Time permitting, give the beans a soak in cold, salted water. Drain the beans and set aside.
2: Add a good amount of olive oil to a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Caramelize the garlic and onion on one side, then add the spices and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
3: Stir in the rest of the aromatics, fresh herbs, and the drained beans.
4: Fill the pot with at least 2 inches of water and bring to a boil.
5: Reduce the heat and simmer the beans until tender. This will usually take about 1 ½ - 4 hours, depending on the age and soaking time of your beans.
6: Discard any aromatics, vegetable peels, etc. then simmer the broth with the beans, asparagus, and peas. Season with salt and give it a good squeeze of lemon juice, then serve!
Variations
There are countless ways to play around with this recipe. Here are some ideas!
- Spice-Forward: Add a bay leaf to impart herbal notes to the beans. Or, add 1-2 teaspoons of fennel seeds.
- Even More Lemony: Cut a lemon and half and caramelize it with the onion and garlic, then add some lemon zest to the broth.
- Make it Summery: Replace the asparagus and peas with cherry tomatoes, and simmer the tomatoes just until they start bursting.
- Make it Cozy: In the winter, you can replace the spring vegetables with roasted butternut squash and kale.
Serving Suggestions
Crusty bread is a delicious accompaniment for soaking up all that delicious broth. In fact, several readers spread the soft cooked cloves on toast to make garlic toast!
Personally, I love serving these brothy beans with my homemade focaccia recipe and a green salad.
Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions
You can store any leftover bean soup in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. It reheats well in the microwave or on the stove.
If you're making this ahead of time, I recommend adding the peas and asparagus just before serving, so they don't overcook.
Expert Tip
The amount of water you will need to cook the beans depends on how long they've already soaked and the age of the beans. The beans should always be submerged, so keep checking the water levels and add more liquid if needed.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, absolutely! If you want to add even more flavor to the beans, use chicken broth or stock instead of water. That said, I think the broth itself is incredibly delicious without broth!
Yes. If you'd like a thicker broth, you can make a cornstarch slurry by mixing an equal amount of cornstarch (start with 1 tablespoon) with 1 tablespoon of cold water until dissolved.
Add the slurry to the broth, then bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute. For more details, check out this post on how to thicken sauces.
First, make sure the broth is well seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. If it still tastes diluted, you can strain out the broth and simmer it with more spices, cheese rinds, and aromatics.
You will definitely want to throw out any vegetable peels! You can absolutely save the peeled garlic cloves and onion pieces and smear them on toast, or even just add them back to the broth.
After a few hours of simmering, the aromatics will be very soft (even mushy). But you can reserve and puree them into the broth for a thicker texture.
Yes and no. You absolutely can, but it requires a bit of rejiggering. Fresh bean broth adds so much flavor, richness, and a starchiness to the broth that you’ll need to replicate to achieve the right texture.
Focus on creating a rich broth, first, with a store-bought (or homemade!) vegetable or chicken stock, and simmer it with the spices, aromatics, and parm rinds for at least 1 ½ to 2 hours. Because bean broth tends to have a starchier, thicker consistency, you could try adding some of the liquid from the can of beans or thickening the broth with cornstarch. Once the broth is to your liking, add the beans back in and cook the peas and asparagus.
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Happy eating! Love, Karishma
One-Pot Brothy Beans
Ingredients
For the brothy beans:
- 1 cup dried white beans, such as cannellini or great northern beans
- Salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Head of garlic, cut in half crosswise
- 1 Onion, cut in half crosswise; root attached
- 4 Whole black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, or 2 dried red chilies | optional (if you want it spicy)
- A handful or two of fresh herbs, I like a couple sprigs of woodier herbs, like thyme, marjoram, or rosemary, and a handful of soft herbs, like parsley or basil
- 2-4 Parmigiano-reggiano cheese rinds
- 4 ounces aromatic vegetables, such as carrots, celery, or parsnips etc. to flavor the broth | leave these whole
For serving:
- ¾ cup fresh or frozen peas
- ½ cup chopped asparagus, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lemon
- ¼ cup freshly chopped herbs, such as parsley or basil
- Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese or pecorino cheese, for garnish
- Crusty toasted bread, for serving
Instructions
- Soak the beans: Sift through the dried white beans with your fingers to remove any debris, such as stones, and discard any wrinkled, shriveled, or discolored beans. Rinse the beans once or twice to remove any dirt or dust.To a medium bowl, add beans, 1 quart of water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Soak for anywhere from 3 to 12 hours. After soaking, drain the beans and set aside. Note: Very fresh beans don’t need soaking, however I do recommend a quick soak if you have the time to promote even cooking!1 cup dried white beans
- Saute the aromatics: Set a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat and add the oil. Place the garlic and onion pieces cut side down into the pan and caramelize until deep golden-brown on the bottom, about 3-4 minutes. Add the black peppercorns and chili flakes/peppers (if using) until they just begin to sizzle, about 30 seconds.¼ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Head of garlic, 1 Onion, 4 Whole black peppercorns, ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- Prep the broth: Add the drained beans to the pot, along with the the herbs, cheese rinds, and any other aromatics. Add a large pinch of salt and pepper, and note that the broth will get saltier as it continues to reduce. Cover the pot with at least 2 inches of water.A handful or two of fresh herbs, 2-4 Parmigiano-reggiano cheese rinds, 4 ounces aromatic vegetables, Salt and black pepper
- Cook the beans: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat until the beans are gently simmering. Simmer, uncovered, the beans until tender and creamy; this can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours depending on how long you soaked them. Stir occasionally, scraping any bits of melted cheese from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.Note: The beans should always be submerged by the water — if your water level goes too low, add more water. After the initial 30 minutes of simmering, I typically check every 30 minutes for tenderness. Beans continue to firm up after chilling, so make sure they're fully cooked here!
- Discard the aromatics: Once the beans are cooked through, season again with salt. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to discard the aromatics, herbs, vegetable peels and anything else you don’t want to end up in your final dish.Note: I typically squeeze the cloves out of the garlic head and add them to the broth or smear on toast. I also keep the softly cooked onions.
- Add the spring vegetables: Just before serving, bring the brothy beans back to a simmer, and add the peas and asparagus until just cooked through, about 1-3 minutes.Note: Make sure to do this right before serving, so that the vegetables remain vibrant green. Note that fresh peas will take longer to cook than frozen peas.¾ cup fresh or frozen peas, ½ cup chopped asparagus
- Finish the dish: Season the broth again with salt and a generous pinch of black pepper (the pepper really balances the cheese flavor). Squeeze a bit of lemon juice, to taste, into the broth. Note: The resulting dish should taste well-seasoned, lemony, and bright from the vegetables; the parm rinds should have imparted a nice umami flavor, and the black pepper should give the dish a bit of a kick.1 lemon
- Serve: Divide the brothy beans amongst serving bowls and top with herbs and freshly grated cheese. Serve with crusty toasted bread.Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese or pecorino cheese, Crusty toasted bread, ¼ cup freshly chopped herbs
Notes
- Beans love fat. Don’t be shy with the olive oil here.
- You don’t need to peel the onion or the garlic, as you’ll remove them from the broth later on. But, if it bothers you, feel free to peel them.
- Frozen peas will cook in a couple of minutes, while fresh peas take longer — so keep that in mind as you’re finishing the dish!
Donna
I made this just as described, and it is fantastic. Not only is it much more hands off than I expected, the house smelled fabulous as the beans were cooking. The result is so flavorful and layered that I felt like my Italian grandma!
Karishma
Hi Donna,
Thank you so much for your kind review! What a compliment 🙂 I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe. It truly is pretty hands-off once you get all the ingredients together!
Daniel
This dish has the perfect combination of warm, cozy flavors paired with bright notes of greens and acidity.
Maire Jones
I am not sure how I found this recipe, but I am incredibly happy I did. It is clever, inexpensive, and OMG so flavourful. Will be making again.
Karishma
Ah, yay! I am so glad you enjoyed - it really is a wonderful (and cheap) way to showcase beans.
Gail
Hi Karishma! OHMYGAWSH thank you so much for developing a recipe where I can use all my saved rinds!! When making soup I’ll typically add one or two, but we obviously eat way more cheese than soup, as the bag in my freezer is full!! I haven’t tried this soup yet…beans are still soaking… but would like to know if the garlic might be salvageable for maybe the bread?
Karishma
Hi Gail,
Yes, this is a great option for using a bunch of rinds! It'll make the broth so rich and flavorful! I haven't tried keeping the garlic for smearing on bread but I love that idea - let me know if you do end up saving it, I'd love to hear how it goes. I also learned a great tip from a friend where you save the cooked veggies from making soup/stock and blend them into the soup. So in this case, you could try blending the reserved garlic, onion, and any carrots/parsnips, etc. into the broth and discarding the peels, herbs, peppercorns, etc.
Gail
Geez the ideas keep connecting! I’ve used that method for gravies why not this soup…LOVE IT. I’ll keep you posted!
Katie
I read your comment and was inspired to use my garlic too! I ended up using the garlic and 1 of the rinds, finely minced, to make a compound butter for the crusty bread I ate with the beans. Was delicious!
Karishma
Katie, that sounds so good! Will definitely have to try this next time.
Jenny
How do you discard the aromatics and everything else??
Karishma
Good question! There isn't a super, super, efficient way to do it but basically I like to use a use a small spoon or even just some tongs to sift through the beans and fish all of the aromatics out from the broth. The garlic and onion peels and the cheese rinds are the most important to remove, but some people also like to leave in vegetables or herbs (I just prefer to take them out because they end up getting super soft/wilted).
Paula
This soup was delicious! Easy to follow and to make, with a great result. Loved how tasty the broth was 😍 perfect for cool spring days.
Karishma
Thanks so much for trying it out, Paula! So happy to hear you liked it!
Gudrun
Is there an alternativ to the rinds.
Karishma
Hi there! Good question. In this particular recipe, the cheese rinds are really helping build a lot of cheesy, umami, savory flavor in the broth that provides a nice contrast to the lemon juice and the brighter vegetables. The best alternative I could think of is some white miso paste which would also add a similar umami flavor -- I would start with a tablespoon of miso in place of the rinds.
That being said, I make bean broths with lots of different flavor profiles; and so, if you wanted to veer in a different direction, you could use a smoked ham hock for a smokier-flavored broth that would taste really nice with the beans and peas.
As another option, you can swap out the water for a flavorful stock or adding in some vegetable bouillon/mushroom bouillon. In my experience, you really want some sort of additional savory ingredient so that the broth doesn't feel too bland. Hope that helps!