🥘 Ingredients
- dried beans 16 oz
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- baking soda 1-2 tsp
- extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
- medium shallots or medium yellow onion 1
- cloves garlic 6
- water 6-8 cup
- bay leaves 2
- fresh thyme or large or small rosemary or sage sprigs 2 sprig
- dried red chile peppers adds a gentle heat, see Note 4 2
- Freshly
- champagne vinegar or lemon juice 1-2 tsp
The approximate cook times listed in this recipe are for medium-sized beans (e.g., Great Northern beans, pinto beans, or chickpeas). If using smaller beans (e.g., navy or black beans), check a bit earlier. If using larger beans (e.g., kidney, cannellini, or lima beans), they typically need 1 hour at a minimum and can take up to 2 hours or even longer, depending on how long you’ve soaked them and how fresh they are. If using table salt instead, use half the amount of salt listed in step 2 and step 5(a). If using sea salt (or Morton’s kosher salt), use a tad more than half the amounts listed. Baking soda will soften the beans more quickly, so if you aren’t using it, you may need to cook them a bit longer than listed. If using small beans or if you prefer your beans more al dente and firm, skip the baking soda. Or, sub with 1/4-1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (or 1-2 tsp of a mild chile flake, such as Aleppo pepper). Add after the garlic for 15 to 20 seconds, stirring frequently. Or use any mild vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. I always drain the soaking water since it contains oligosaccharides, which can be difficult to digest for some. If you don’t have trouble digesting beans, you can cook them in the soaking water. You can also use the string from a tea bag to tie the herbs together, or you can put them in a reusable tea bag or piece of cheesecloth and stick that into the pot. Storage: Store leftover beans with their liquid in the fridge for 5 days; or store in the freezer with their liquid for 3 to 6 months. The oil from the beans will solidify while in the fridge after a few days, but it will melt back down when you reheat the beans. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove until warmed through.
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1Gather: dried beans , Diamond Crystal kosher salt , baking soda , extra virgin olive oil , medium shallots or medium yellow onion , cloves garlic , water , bay leaves , fresh thyme or large or small rosemary or sage sprigs , dried red chile peppers adds a gentle heat, see Note 4 , Freshly cracked black pepper, champagne vinegar or lemon juice .
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2Spread the beans out on a large surface, discarding any pebbles or debris.
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3Soak the beans overnight: Place the beans in a large bowl with plenty of cool water, about 8 cup water. Add 1 1/2 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see Note 2) and baking soda, if using. Stir well, cover, and soak for 8-12 hours on the countertop. If soaking for longer than 12 hours, transfer to the fridge. If cooking small beans (e.g., navy or black beans), you can soak for 4 to 6 hours.
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4Drain the beans and rinse well (see Note 6).
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5Prep flavorings: Use kitchen twine to tie together the bay leaves and thyme (or rosemary/sage sprigs); if you don’t have twine, see Note 7. Use scissors to snip open a slit in the dried chile peppers.
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6Cook aromatics: Heat a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat with 2 tbsp olive oil. Once warm, add the shallots and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until no longer raw and just starting to see some color, stirring frequently. Pour in 6 cup water, the soaked beans, herb bundle, dried chiles, a generous amount of black pepper, and 1 tsp kosher salt.
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7Boil beans: Bring to a rapid boil (cover the pan to speed this up and to prevent evaporation). Once boiling, partially cover the pan and boil for 10 minutes .
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8Simmer beans: Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender. You want just small, occasional bubbles; you don't want constant simmering bubbles. NOTE: I simmer uncovered to concentrate the broth flavor, but the water may evaporate towards the end of cooking. If it does, top off with freshly boiled water to cover. If you won’t be in the kitchen to check the water level, simmer covered or partially covered instead.
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9Check beans for doneness: A medium-sized bean (e.g., Great Northern bean) that’s been soaked typically takes 40 to 50 minutes; larger beans typically take 1 hour or more. The fresher the beans, the less time they need. The longer the beans have soaked, the less time they will need. When testing for doneness, be sure to test at least 5 different beans because some beans may be done sooner than others. TIP: If cooking beans longer than one hour, you may want to scoop out the bouquet garni so it doesn't overwhelm the flavors.
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10Finishing: Once the beans are tender to your liking, turn off the heat and discard the chile peppers and bouquet garni. Season with salt to taste. You’ll need to be pretty generous; I use at least 1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. Stir in some good-quality olive oil (I recommend at least 1 tbsp) and 1-2 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice. Adjust the seasonings, adding more oil, salt, or acid until the beans taste perfect to you.