It’s That Simple is our series about recipes so easy, you can make them with your eyes closed. Think tiny ingredient lists, laid-back techniques, and results so delicious you’ll text home about them.
Here, cannellini beans get folded into a white-wine-spiked cheesy sauce inspired by the communal classic fondue. This cozy interpretation leans on canned beans to become the base of a weeknight meal (for one or more) with little fanfare.
Coating your cheese in cornstarch allows the fondue to have a luscious texture with the right amount of stability. If your sauce breaks at any point (maybe you added beans that weren’t at room temperature and the temperature change shocked the sauce), just keep mixing everything over medium-low heat. The sauce will correct itself with a little heat and time.
This dish is best served immediately, so have spoons or toast at the ready. The latter is my favorite way of eating it, with briny cornichons showered atop.
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Using your hands, toss together 12 oz. Gruyère, coarsely grated, and 2 tsp. cornstarch in a large bowl until cheese is evenly coated. Set aside.
Step 2
Heat 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a small Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup dry white wine, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook until reduced by about one quarter, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add reserved cheese mixture a handful at a time, mixing with a whisk after each addition until mostly melted before adding more; mix until combined and smooth. Mix in 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 dash (generous) Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg; season with freshly ground pepper.
Step 3
Add two 15.5-oz. cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed, to pot and carefully mix into sauce with a heatproof rubber spatula. Cook until beans are fully warmed through, about 5 minutes. (Sauce should have the texture of Alfredo. If it’s too thick, add 1 Tbsp. water at a time, stirring between additions until fully emulsified. If sauce looks separated, keep mixing over medium-low heat until it turns smooth.)
Step 4
Serve fondue beans over toast topped with slice cornichons and seasoned with more pepper.
