Summer Brothy Beans with Chili and Garlic

Name: Summer Brothy Beans with Chili and Garlic
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 pounds fresh shelling beans in their pods, such as cranberry beans (approximately 2 cups of fresh beans); 1-2 fresh or dried bay leaves; 1 onion, quartered; Kosher salt; 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (finely crushed, if you have), plus more; 6–8 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced; Freshly ground black pepper

3 steps

Cranberry beans aka borlotti beans are beans in a pod aka fresh shelling beans. Why aren’t all beans sold fresh as well as dried? I don’t know, but plan on finding out when I have a bit more time. A fresh shelling bean cooks up plumper and creamier than you ever thought a bean could possibly become, the broth they create is savory and creamy but never starchy or thick. You can use dried and get a pot of delicious brothy beans, but they’ll never be the same as a fresh, sorry to say. The message here is “fresh beans,” not necessarily what you put in the pot with them. I tend to keep my beans (fresh or dried) on the quiet side since I like to let the beans speak for themselves, and am usually serving them with other dishes that speak a bit louder. That said, adding the garlic towards the end of cooking really amplifies the flavor and these are GARLICKY. In the most splendid way. Anyway, please take the following ingredients as a suggestion, not gospel. Make them your own! - AR

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 01:06:24 GMT

Ingredients

5 servings

4 poundslling beans

fresh, she, in their pods, such as cranberry beans

3 tablespoonsolive oil

plus more for drizzling

2 teaspoonscrushed red pepper flakes

finely crushed, if you have, plus more

6 clovesgarlic

large, thinly sliced

freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Free the beans from their pods. This will take some time, and you will enjoy every minute.

Step 2

Transfer the beans into a pot and cover with water by about 3-4”. Add bay leaf, onion and season with a good amount of salt. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium–low. Continue simmering the beans until they’re tender and technically cooked through, but still a little starchy, 20–25 minutes.

Step 3

Add about 3 tablespoons olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and thinly sliced garlic. Continue cooking, adjusting the heat to keep them at a gentle simmer, adding more water as needed to keep the beans submerged and brothy, until the beans are totally tender, creamy and fabulous, another 20–25 minutes. Season the broth/beans with salt and more pepper. Serve in their liquid with another gorgeous drizzle of olive oil and more pepper.