Good beans can be life-changing. Cooking them from scratch allows you to capture their rich cooking liquid and leaves you with creamy beans packed with flavor throughout. Starting them in just the right amount of broth and water yields an ideal ratio of allium-fortified liquor to tender legumes, making for a balanced stew that you’ll want to eat right out of the pot. A raw asparagus finisher might seem like an unorthodox move, but when tossed with lemon juice and spring onion tops, the bracing combo acts as a refreshing, crunchy counterpoint to the white beans.
What you’ll need
Dutch Oven
$90 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$9 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
4 hours
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook 1 bunch spring onions or scallions, white and pale green parts thinly sliced, and 6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add wide zest of 1 lemon and 1 cup dried cannellini (white kidney) beans, soaked overnight, drained, then pour in 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and broth is reduced by nearly half, 1½–2 hours. Taste and season with kosher salt if needed.
Step 2
Just before serving, toss 1 small bunch asparagus, trimmed, thinly sliced on a diagonal, 1 bunch spring onions or scallions, dark green parts thinly sliced, ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin oil in a small bowl. Squeeze in juice from 1 lemon; toss asparagus salad again to coat.
Step 3
Ladle beans into bowls or onto a deep platter; top with asparagus salad. Serve with country-style bread.
Do ahead: Beans can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
