This recipe for Braised White Beans with Garlic and Rosemary is the definition of plant-based comfort food! It's creamy, hearty, full of warming flavors, and ready in 30 minutes. Serve it with crusty bread and a kale salad for a healthy dinner.
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White beans are a true workhorse in the kitchen. They are a welcome addition to so many meals, and this is no exception. Today's recipe is a perfect quick dinner for fall and winter. It's ready in just 30 minutes with a deep flavor that improves as it rests.
Ingredients
- Fresh rosemary is my favorite hearty herb and pairs perfectly with many white bean recipes. We use it in this Easy Rosemary White Bean Dip as well!
- Fresh garlic lends flavor and a sharper bite that cuts through the creamy beans and olive oil
- Cannellini beans are hearty and naturally very creamy. Other bean types could work, such as Royal Coronas or large white lima beans. I do not recommend chickpeas as they tend to stay fairly firm
- Cashew parmesan adds a savory note that is slightly cheesy. This is a perfect topper when serving with some crusty bread!
How to Make Braised White Beans
Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add rosemary, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Let brown for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add white beans and simmer until thick, about 8 minutes.
Step 3: Mash down beans with a fork and remove rosemary sprigs.
Step 3 continued: Season with nutmeg and black pepper.
Step 4: Stir and mash beans, then remove from the heat.
Step 5: Add lemon juice and serve with cashew parmesan and crusty bread.
Ways to Customize Braised White Beans
My favorite beans are cannellini (also known as white kidney beans), but Navy or Great Northern beans would also work well. These white beans are very naturally creamy and well-suited for braising. Chickpeas and black-eyed peas are a bit firmer but could be included as mix-ins if that's what you have available.
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Other hearty winter herbs such as sage and thyme could be nice additions alongside the rosemary.
The dry white wine we're using is for an added depth of flavor (the alcohol cooks off). If you do not have this on hand, some additional lemon juice will help brighten things up. Vegetable broth is something I never have but that could be useful also. Feel free to just skip it.
To make this into a meal-prepable option, I like to pack it with a bunch of kale for a lunch-worthy salad. When heated in the microwave, the kale steams itself a bit and does not require dressing. Something like arugula would also be a nice contrast!
Recipe FAQs
Cannellini beans are a type of white bean. There are many kinds of "white" beans, which are part of a family of legumes that include navy beans, kidney beans (cannellini), lima beans, and "Great Northern" beans. They are all notable for having starchy interiors with thin white casings.
A common method for preparing meats, to braise is to slowly simmer an ingredient within cooking liquid (sometimes after searing). It is similar to stewing but includes a bit less liquid.
Typically, yes. Rinsing white beans from a can remove excess salt, which helps regulate other flavors in a dish. This recipe was designed to utilize a bit of extra salt from one can of bean liquid, but it will also work with homemade beans.
More White Bean Recipes
I hope you love this recipe for easy braised white beans! Please be sure to leave a comment with a rating if you give it a try. I love seeing what readers think of each recipe, and what customizations you include.
Cozy Braised White Beans with Garlic and Rosemary
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cloves of garlic crushed and peeled
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 15.5 oz cans cannellini beans or 3 cups cooked beans
- ⅓ cup dry white wine optional
- Twist of black pepper
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Juice from ½ of a lemon
- Cashew parm to serve
- Crusty bread for dipping
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat with rosemary and red pepper flakes. Add crushed garlic and salt; let it brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add one can of white beans WITH bean liquid and rinse the other can and add WITHOUT the liquid. If you're using home cooked beans, add all three cups of beans along with ½ cup water to make up for this. Add white wine if using.
- Lower heat to a simmer and let beans cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove rosemary sprigs and set aside for garnishing later. Use a fork to mash some of the beans down, and season with black pepper and nutmeg.
- Remove from the heat and taste to see if you need a bit more salt (you likely will if you used homemade beans).
- Add lemon juice. To serve, top with cashew parm, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice. Crusty bread for dipping is a must.
Julie says
I was looking to duplicate an amazing braised bean soup I had in NYC some months ago, but I'm inexperienced with cooking with fresh rosemary. Maybe it is the batch I had, but it was super overpowering, so I would recommend that folks start much smaller with the herb. Advice online had me adding red wine to counteract it, and the lemon juice at the end helped. I'm hoping the interwebs' recommendation of giving it overnight for the flavors to get acquainted also helps, but I did spend an hour and a half fishing out the leaves to be safe 😉
Emily says
This is helpful feedback, thank you Julie! I appreciate you rating and commenting.
Robyn says
Cannot find the cashew parm that you mention??
Emily says
Hi Robyn, sorry for the confusion! It is here: https://garlic-head.com/cashew-parmesan/
D says
So warm, comforting, filling, and absolutely delish
Emily says
So glad you liked it, D - thank you for commenting and for 5 stars! - Emily
Tappi says
I love this! Perfect combination.
Emily says
So glad you enjoyed it - thank you for rating! - Emily
SL says
Absolutely delicious! We had it as a main course, and it was a bit over 2 servings for hungry adults 🙂
I had some tuscan kale that needed to be eaten and it was a great addition. I just tore and nuked it and added it for the last few minutes of cooking.
Emily says
Thank you so much for five stars - that sounds like a perfect pairing! Yum!
RW says
So easy and perfect for a chilly evening, love this recipe!
Emily says
Thank you for reading + reviewing, AR!! 🙂