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 with crusty bread!
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What does it mean to "braise" something?
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.
Ingredient Details for this Recipe
- Extra virgin olive oil is main liquid we are cooking the beans in.
- Fresh rosemary is my favorite winter hearty herb.
- Crushed red pepper flakes add a slight bit of heat.
- Fresh garlic lends flavor and a sharper bite.
- Cannellini beans are hearty and naturally very creamy.
- Sea salt, black pepper, and nutmeg are used to season.
- Lemon juice helps to cut through the olive oil.
- Cashew parmesan adds a savory note that is slightly cheesy.
- Crusty bread makes for the best dipping tool when serving.
Ways to Customize Braised White Beans
My favorite beans to use 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 in as mix-ins, if that's what you have on hand.
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 no have this on hand, some additional lemon juice will help brighten things up. Vegetable broth is something I never have (for no good reason, LOL) but that could be useful also.
To make this into a meal prep-able 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!
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More White Bean Recipes
Crispy White Bean Skillet with Kale and Tomatoes
More Cozy Bean Dishes
Cozy Braised White Beans with Garlic and Rosemary
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!! 🙂