In the cuisine of Tuscany, Italy, with its miles of coastline and reputation as the home of mangiafagioli—or bean eaters—it’s no surprise that shrimp and white beans are a classic pairing. And they do a fine job of co-starring in this dish.
In this quick, easy recipe from Milk Street, the two are the highlights. With so few supporting ingredients, it’s important to use a dry white wine that’s good enough to drink on its own. And why not pour yourself a glass with the meal?!
While the original recipe indicates it takes a total time of 25 minutes from start to finish, it was more like 40-45 minutes with prep. Serve warm or at room temperature with a leafy salad and crusty bread to round out the meal.
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary OR ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 15½-oz. cans butter beans OR cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 lb. extra-large (21/25 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley OR fresh basil, roughly chopped
Directions
In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, rosemary, pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the beans, then add the wine and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the pan is dry, 5 to 7 minutes.
02Stir in the shrimp. Cover, reduce to medium-low and cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes; stir once about halfway through.
03Off heat, taste and season with salt and black pepper. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig (if used). Stir in the parsley and serve drizzled with additional oil.
Just after an all-night ice storm, this comforting soup was the perfect antidote. It is a creative mashup on the classic Roman pasta dish, cacio e pepe, which translates to “cheese and pepper.”
This soup is a great way to use up your Parmesan rinds and simmer them with a ham bone to make the savory ham broth. Dried white beans are then cooked in the flavorful broth until tender and creamy. After pureeing some of the beans to make the soup creamy, pecorino Romano and freshly ground pepper finish the soup with classic cacio e pepe flair.
Since the broth and beans are made from scratch* (or not—see note), this soup does take a bit of time, but the deeply savory flavors make it worth it. Perfect for cozy evenings yet elegant enough to serve to guests, this soup is equal parts hearty and sophisticated. Serve it with crusty bread and a salad to round out the meal.
OUR NOTES: *If you have pre-made ham stock like we did, skip Step 1. (It certainly saves a lot of time.) In Step 5, add the parmesan rinds wrapped in a bundle with cheesecloth and the thyme sprigs. **Use 8 cups ham stock, plus 2 cups water. You can use three 15-ounce cans of drained and rinsed white beans instead of the dried beans. In Step 5, add the beans and half of the ham broth (5 cups) and simmer until the broth is thickened about 30 minutes.
Make ahead: Refrigerate the ham broth for up to one week or freeze for up to three months. Refrigerate the soup for up to five days or freeze in individual containers for up to three months.
1 smoked ham bone, (2- to 3-lb.) or 1 or 2 large ham hock, preferably with meat
8 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rinds, (4 to 5 rinds tied up in a cheese cloth)
7 sprigs thyme
12 cups water, (see note)**
1 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for serving
1 lb. dried white beans, (such as Great Northern beans or cannellini beans), soaked for 12 hours, drained
1 oz. pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about 1/4 cup), plus more for serving
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions
Cut 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, and 2 carrots into 1-inch pieces. Smash 6 garlic cloves. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add chopped vegetables and smashed garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ham bone, cheese rinds, thyme sprigs, and water; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to low; simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally (to prevent cheese from sticking to bottom of pot), until broth is cloudy and tastes strongly like Parmesan and ham, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
While broth simmers, chop remaining 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, and 2 carrots into 1/2-inch pieces. Mince remaining 4 garlic cloves. Set aside.
Pour broth through a fine mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup or bowl, pressing vegetables and cheese rinds to extract as much liquid as possible (about 10 cups); discard solids. Reserve ham bone. Wipe pot clean.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pot over medium-high. Add pepper and reserved chopped vegetables; cook, stirring often, until vegetables start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add reserved minced garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add reserved ham bone, drained beans, and strained broth; bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until beans are creamy and tender and ham meat easily pulls away from bone, 2 to 3 hours.
Transfer 1 cup of soup (removing any ham pieces) to a small bowl; mash using a potato masher until smooth. (Alternatively, transfer to a blender, and process until smooth.) Stir mashed soup back into pot.
Remove ham bone from soup, and shred meat (about 1 cup); return meat to soup, and discard bone. Stir in pecorino Romano cheese until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt. Ladle soup evenly into individual bowls; sprinkle with additional black pepper and cheese.
Here’s a lovely, healthy soup from The Barefoot Contessa with lots of fiber and subtle flavors. This recipe originally calls for soaking dried beans overnight, but gives you an option to use canned beans.
We included a can of diced tomatoes for an additional pop of color and extra nutrition.
If you prefer to use canned beans: First, use 2 (14-ounce) cans of white cannellini beans. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Place 1 cup of the beans and ½ cup of the liquid into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree. When ready to add the beans in the recipe, stir in the puree and add the remaining drained beans (discard the remaining liquid). Second, use only 6 cups of chicken stock. Third, simmer the soup for 45 minutes, rather than 1 hour and 30 minutes.
At least 8 hours or the night before you make the soup, place the beans in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain the beans, rinse under cold running water, and drain again. Set aside.
In a large (10-inch) pot or Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat ¼ cup of olive oil over medium heat, add the pancetta, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until browned.
Add the leeks, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and rosemary and cook over medium-low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
Add the beans, 8 cups of the chicken stock, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour and 30 minutes, until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot. Discard the bay leaves, cover the pot, and allow the soup to sit off the heat for 15 minutes. Add in the diced tomatoes. Add up to 2 more cups of chicken stock if the soup is too thick.
Reheat slowly, ladle into large shallow soup bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.
When the weather cools, we start craving dense homemade soups. This one is a concoction that The Hubs whipped up as he went along. It is every bit as satisfying as a full-course meal, and has lots of veggies and fiber.
Using homemade stock always ratchets up the flavor component. Here we used a homemade ham stock, but chicken stock would work just fine. Also, our kielbasa was homemade coming from a local butchered pig, of which we bought a 1/4 share. If you prefer another type of sausage, go ahead.
There’s a lot of chopping so put on some good background music and perhaps sip a glass of wine while you get down with this hearty soup!
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, stripped off stem or tied in a bundle
1 1/2 lbs. kielbasa*, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1/4″ half moons
2 cans cannellini beans, drained
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Directions
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy soup pot until hot. Add celery, carrot, red pepper, and onion, sauté until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, sauté for 1 more minute.
Stir in both paprikas, salt, pepper, bay leaves and thyme
Add cabbage, broth and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover until the cabbage is tender, about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a large pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the sausage slices, and sauté for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally; remove to plate. (*This step is not necessary unless you would prefer it, OR, your sausage is not precooked.)
Add beans and sausage to pot, simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, taste for salt and pepper, and stir in parsley and vinegar.
So tasty and so healthy! This warm-your-belly farro soup is quite easy to make; and it’s all done in one-pot which means fewer dishes. On a busy weeknight, this may be your ticket to something healthy, nutritious and pretty hands-off. To keep it vegetarian, use vegetable stock. That was not an issue for us so we used 6 cups of homemade chicken stock.
Farro soup with white beans and vegetables is a rich, hearty, and flavorful meal. Eat it on its own, pair it with crusty garlic bread or a simple salad and dinner is served! It’s like a hug in a bowl to keep you warm on chilly nights! And that is exactly the reaction we got.
We adapted the recipe slightly by including two cans of white beans instead of one. Since baby spinach is typically packaged in a 5-ounce clamshell, we included the entire thing instead of 2 cups. A nice toasted piece of garlic bread was the perfect companion!
Missing, or not fond of, some of the ingredients? Don’t worry, here are some substitutes:
Farro substitutes: While farro is traditional in this soup, you can use other grains like barley, spelt, freekeh, coarse bulgur, quinoa, or brown rice. Brown rice and quinoa are good ways to turn this soup into a gluten-free-friendly meal.
Add mushrooms: Cut mushrooms of your choosing into bite-sized pieces and saute them along with the carrots, onion, and celery. From there, follow the recipe as written.
Instead of spinach, you can use baby kale. Kale in general is tougher than spinach, and takes more time to wilt down. Baby kale is a bit softer, but will still likely have more body than spinach, even after sitting in the broth for a while.
Vegan option: Use vegetable stock and omit the parmesan rind and cheese for a vegan alternative. Without the parmesan rind, you will lose some of the nutty, rich flavor. If you want to mimic this flavor, use a little nutritional yeast. You can add 2 to 3 teaspoons right after you add the stock. It will dissolve quite quickly.
1 to 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
2 celery sticks, chopped
Kosher salt
2 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 28-oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
2 15-oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup farro, rinsed and drained
1-inch Parmesan rind
5 oz. fresh baby spinach
1 cup chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Grated Parmesan for serving
Directions
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Season with a little kosher salt and cook, tossing occasionally until the vegetables have softened.
Add the garlic and toss for 30 seconds or so, then add the tomatoes, stock, white beans, farro, and parmesan rind.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat watching for the steady, gentle simmer. Allow the soup to simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes or so.
Turn the heat off and remove the Parmesan rind (sometimes the rind will have dissolved into the soup). Stir in the spinach, parsley, and red wine vinegar.
This is a wonderful cool weather soup recipe that warms you like a soft blanket. The Hubs made the “shortened” version using a pressure cooker which condensed the overall time down to 34 minutes (24 minutes on high pressure; + 10 minutes natural release).
This creamy vegetarian soup is built on humble winter staples, but the addition of sour cream and chives make it feel special. If feeling decadent, you may want to crumble a few sour-cream-and-onion chips on top to take the theme all of the way.
It takes just a few minutes to throw the ingredients into the slow cooker, and the rest of the recipe almost entirely hands-off, making it very doable on a weekday. Use an immersion blender, if you have one, to purée it to a silky smooth consistency, but a potato masher works well for a textured, chunky soup. Ours was somewhere in between, with a slightly textured finish.
Slow-Cooker Cauliflower, potato and White Bean Soup
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
1 lb. cauliflower, chopped into large bite-sized florets and stems
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, drained
½ yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
3½ cups vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. dry white wine
1 sprig fresh thyme or ½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. garlic powder
Coarse kosher salt and black pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice (about ¼ lemon)
8 oz. sour cream (1 cup), at room temperature
½ cup chopped chives (about 1 small bunch)
Potato chips, preferably sour cream and onion, for topping; optional
Shredded cheddar, for serving
Directions
In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the potatoes, cauliflower, beans, onion, garlic, vegetable stock, butter, wine, thyme, garlic powder and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. Cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 8 hours on low. (InstaPot: 24 minutes on high pressure; + 10 minutes natural release.)
Remove and discard the thyme sprig, and turn off the slow cooker. Add the lemon juice. To make a completely smooth and creamy soup, purée the ingredients using an immersion blender. (Or, purée the soup in a blender in two batches, transferring the puréed soup to a different pot.) To make a textured, chunky soup, smash the ingredients using a potato masher in the slow cooker.
Stir in the sour cream and chives. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. Serve in bowls topped with black pepper, crushed potato chips and shredded Cheddar.
For leftovers, gently reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave until it just barely bubbles around the edges; don’t let it boil or the sour cream will break.
With a flavor profile inspired by pasta e fagioli, this weeknight pasta recipe coaxes rich flavor out of simple ingredients while enlisting the oven to create a luscious sauce from roasted tomatoes and white beans.
Essentially, the dish requires just three steps: Boil pasta, roast your sauce ingredients, then stir together until the pasta is glossy. When roasted in the oven, the beans become crispy, like croutons, and break down in a way that helps thicken the sauce.
Though a flurry of freshly grated cheese would be welcome on top, this otherwise-vegan dish doesn’t need it; although we used it. The roasted tomato sauce is rich and luscious, fortified by starchy pasta water, roasted beans and a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil.
Our changes included omitting the sugar, using only 8 ounces of pasta, and cutting the olive oil in half, but keeping the other ingredients at the original amounts. To summarize, the meal exuded complex textures that came from roasting the shallot, garlic and tomatoes; with a little crunch, a little creamy, a hint of smokiness, and a little glossy finish.
½ tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
½ tsp. red-pepper flakes
½ tsp. granulated sugar
16 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 15-oz. can small white beans (preferably navy or cannellini beans), rinsed (or 1⅓ cups cooked white beans)
1 lb. orecchiette (or other shaped pasta that will cup or grasp the sauce)
Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino (optional), for serving
Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
In a small bowl, stir together ¼ cup olive oil with the shallot, tomato paste, garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes and sugar. On a large baking sheet, toss the tomatoes with the dressing; season generously with salt and pepper, then spread in an even layer.
On a second baking sheet, toss the beans with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season generously with salt and pepper.
Roast the tomatoes and beans, stirring halfway through, until tomatoes slump and beans crisp, about 25 minutes.
While the tomatoes and beans roast, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water then drain pasta.
Transfer the beans and tomatoes to the pot. Add ¼ cup pasta cooking water to the sheet pan from the tomatoes and use a flexible spatula to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the sheet pan; transfer to the pot, then repeat with another ¼ cup pasta cooking water. (One thing they’ll teach you in French culinary school: Never, ever discard the sucs, those browned bits at the bottom of the pan that carry deep flavor.)
Add the pasta and the remaining ½ cup olive oil to the pot; stir vigorously until saucy. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add extra pasta water as needed to moisten until glossy. Divide among wide, shallow bowls and top with grated cheese, if desired.
Cassoulet, a hearty slow-simmered stew of sausage, confit (typically duck), pork, and white beans, is one of the great hallmarks of French country cuisine. The best versions are cooked for hours until the beans and meat meld into a dish of luxuriant, velvety richness. As chef-author Molly Stevens says “There is no single best cassoulet, and, perhaps more importantly, feel free to adapt this rustic dish to suit your own appetite and cooking routines.”
Typically, a traditional French cassoulet should be cooked, then cooled, preferably overnight, then cooked and cooled again — at least three times. Multiple slow simmerings allow the beans to absorb the rich flavors of the sausage and duck confit until they become velvety and plush while still maintaining their shape and integrity. Ideally, it is made over the course of four days, but not here.
This “lazy” version remains the simplest: one that you can get on the dinner table in about an hour. Start with boneless, skinless chicken thighs (unless you have leftover roast chicken, which works great, too). If you have duck fat on hand, which we did, use it to sauté the chicken for an extra flavor boost (and because that’s the fat most used in southwest France), but any neutral-tasting oil will do. Either way, the chicken should be tender, cooked through, and well-seasoned.
Then it’s a matter of sautéing an onion, a healthy amount of garlic, and a heap of smoked sausage to create a flavor base that will carry through the entire dish. A bit of tomato paste ups the umami quotient, and a splash of white wine contributes just enough acid to balance the richness. From there, everything gets gently folded together with cooked white beans (canned or home-cooked), spread in a shallow dish (either a gratin or a heavy skillet), topped with breadcrumbs, and baked until bubbling hot on the inside and crunchy-golden on top. Unbelievably decadent and delicious!
Make Ahead: The dish may be prepared through step 5, covered, and stored in the refrigerator up to 1 day ahead.
FYI, we doubled the andouille sausage because we only had about half the amount of chicken thighs.
6 oz. smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 15-oz. cans white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini, drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Season chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chicken thighs, smooth side down. Cook, undisturbed, adjusting heat as necessary so thighs cook evenly without scorching, until edges turn opaque and bottoms are nicely browned, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside on a plate. Do not wipe skillet clean.
Return skillet and any drippings to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, onion, and sausage. Cook, stirring often, until onion is tender and light golden, about 6 minutes.
Add garlic, thyme, allspice, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring often, until heated through and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add wine and tomato paste, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring often, 1 to 2 minutes. Add beans, stock, and 2 tablespoons oil; bring to a simmer.
Shred chicken into bite-size pieces; add to onion mixture along with any drippings that have accumulated on the plate. Transfer to an 8- x 11-inch baking dish. Spread into an even layer. (If cooking later, cover the dish with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.)
Toss breadcrumbs with remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Scatter breadcrumbs over bean mixture.
Bake in preheated oven until heated through, top is browned, and sides are bubbly, about 20 minutes. (If baking from refrigerated, bake an additional 5 to 10 additional minutes.)
Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. Serve.
For this lamb shanks recipe, Cook’s Illustrated preferred to braise them in the oven rather than on the stovetop, as the oven provided more even heat. Browning the shanks over high heat in a skillet first added a great deal of flavor to the dish. The shanks are braised in chicken stock (which complements, rather than overpowers, the lamb, as beef or veal stock might have), white wine, and herbs.
We made numerous changes to this recipe, starting with the lamb shanks. Instead of six small (which equates to more bone and less meat), we braised two meaty shanks that weighed close to two pounds each. When it is time to brown the shanks, you may have to do it in two batches if cooking more than two of them.
*As for the white beans, we did soak ours overnight as per the instructions below, but you could use 2 cans of cannellinis, drained and rinsed to save time. Instead of using several different skillets and pans, we did everything in one large braising pot. Finally, although we didn’t do it this time, we highly suggest that you reduce the liquids from 3 cups of broth to 2, and 2 cups of white wine down to 1 cup. These changes are note in the recipe below.
Braised Lamb Shanks with White Beans, Swiss Chard and Marjoram
1 bunch Swiss chard, cleaned, stemmed, and chopped coarsely
Ground black pepper
Directions
FOR BEANS: Bring dried beans, bay leaf, garlic, and water to simmer in large saucepan. Simmer, partially covered, until beans are just tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in salt, cover, and let beans stand until completely tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserve cooking liquid, and discard bay leaf and garlic. (Beans in liquid can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated up to 5 days.)
FOR SHANKS: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle shanks with salt. Heat oil in a large, nonreactive sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shanks to pan in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Sauté until browned on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shanks to a plate as they brown.
Drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from the sauté pan; add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, a light sprinkling of salt and 2 teaspoons of the fresh marjoram (less if using dried); sauté to soften vegetables slightly, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add wine, then chicken stock to the skillet, stirring with a wooden spoons to loosen browned bits from skillet bottom. Bring liquid to simmer; transfer vegetables and liquid into a deep braising pan, large enough to hold the shanks in a single layer. Add shanks and season with salt and pepper.
Cover pan (with foil if pan has no lid) and transfer it to the oven; braise shanks for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue braising until shank tops are browned, about 30 minutes. Turn shanks and continue braising until remaining side has browned and shanks are fall-off-the-bone tender, about another 20 minutes.
Remove pan from oven; let shanks rest for at least 15 minutes. Carefully transfer shanks with tongs to each plate.
Arrange a portion of vegetables around each shank. Skim excess fat from braising liquid. Add beans and chard and remaining 1 teaspoon marjoram; cook over medium heat until greens wilt, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Spoon a portion of braising liquid over each shank and serve.
A perfect time of year for chili, and this tangy, mildly spicy white-bean chili is as warming and comforting as a traditional one, but in a lighter, brighter form. Plenty of green chiles — fresh and canned — provide kick while creamy white beans mellow it all out. To decrease the heat level, remove and discard the seeds from the jalapeño before you mince it.
A large handful of chopped cilantro added at the end brings freshness, but if you don’t care for cilantro, pass it at the table along with the other toppings or omit it entirely. In the spirit of customizing your chili, you can make this in the slow cooker or on the stovetop*. Use 3 cups chicken stock in the slow cooker and 4 cups on the stovetop, where liquid is more likely to evaporate.
On addition to sliced scallions and chopped cilantro, we topped the chili with grated Cotija cheese. It is a Mexican, dry grated cheese, made from cow’s milk and can be compared to the taste of feta and parmesan. BTW, queso fresco means “fresh cheese” in Spanish, the best substitute for cotija if you can find it in stores or happen to have some on hand. It is very close in flavor to cotija but is a little bit milder.
*You can also cook the chili in a Dutch oven on your stovetop. In step 2, add 4 cups stock instead of 3 cups and let the mixture come to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.
In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped green chiles, cumin, onion powder, oregano and cayenne and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
*Transfer the mixture into a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Generously season the chicken thighs with salt and add them to the pot. Stir in 3 cups chicken stock and the beans. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours.
Shred the chicken using two forks. (You can do this directly in the pot, or remove the chicken to a bowl, shred it, then return it to the pot.) Stir in the frozen corn, cover and cook until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, if using, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Serve in bowls and pass the toppings at the table.
Have a potluck or picnic coming up? Then this simple salad is a perfect choice because it travels well and can be made ahead. It makes a bright, tangy companion to grilled meat or fish. Marinating the red onions and garlic in the vinaigrette for 15 minutes not only diffuses their flavor but also softens their bite.
The salad is also supremely versatile, and can be dressed up with any soft herb like basil, tarragon or mint, and chile, in almost any form. We doubled the recipe for a recent picnic and practically every morsel disappeared.
While we had never tried the SweetPops brand of grape tomatoes, they were so sweet and delicious. Make sure you use Parmesan shavings as opposed to grated parm.
¾ cup very thinly sliced red onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 ½ tsp. minced garlic (about 1 large clove)
2 pints cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup shaved Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the red onion and garlic and set the dressing aside to marinate for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
Place the tomatoes, white beans and parsley in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, then gently fold in the Parmesan.
This is a quick-and-easy version of the Spanish tapa known as Fabada Asturiana, a hearty stew of dried beans, sausage and other smoky, porky ingredients. Typically morcilla—which is blood sausage—and pork belly are main ingredients but Milk Street pared back on the meats, using only chorizo and ham, both of which lend deep flavor to the broth.
Once a simple country dish, fabada is now a venerated symbol of the Asturias region of Spain. The dish gets its name from the large beans that are traditionally used in its preparation, but here canned white beans such as cannellinis work well—and save time. No soaking beans or cooking for hours!
Milk Street prefers the relatively large size and creamy texture of cannellinis, but they say great northern and navy beans are fine, too. A pinch (make that a large pinch) of saffron adds a very Spanish flavor and fragrance, while giving the stew an alluring golden hue. Fabada is a hot and heavy dish and for that reason is most commonly eaten during winter, or cool months.
One huge misstep for us was not using our homemade ham stock in place of chicken broth. Either one, it was super tasty, and even better the next day when the flavors had a chance to marry (and go on a honeymoon 😉 )
RULE No. 18: Don’t Let Neutral Ingredients Stand Alone.
8 oz. Spanish chorizo, casings removed, halved and thinly sliced
8 oz. ham steak, cut into ½-inch cubes
1½ qts. ham or chicken broth, preferably homemade
3 15½-z. cans white beans, rinsed and drained
3 bay leaves
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Warmed crusty bread, to serve (optional)
Directions
In a large pot over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, saffron and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the chorizo and ham, then cook, stirring, just until the chorizo begins to release its fat, about 1 minute.
Stir in the broth, beans and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaves, then stir in the scallions. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.
Tip: Don’t overcook the chorizo and ham after adding it to the sautéed onion mixture. If the pieces begin to sear or brown, they’ll be chewy and rubbery in the finished dish. Cook only until the chorizo begins to release some of its fat.
This delicious simple bean salad, Fasolia Piaz, was found in our Milk Street magazine and had the Mediterranean profile we were looking for. In Greece they typically use large, flat butter beans, but here, easier-to-find cannellinis are incorporated.
To compensate for canned beans’ blandness, they are heated in the microwave, then tossed while still hot with oil, vinegar and aromatics. As the beans cool, they absorb the seasonings, so they’re flavorful throughout.
A bonus, the beans can be heated, dressed and refrigerated up to a day in advance; but bring the beans to room temperature before tossing with the avocado, herbs and lemon. However, even cold the salad is delicious. A great dish to serve at a picnic or potluck as a side for meat lovers, or as a main for plant-based followers.
Milk Street stresses not to skip the step of heating the beans in the microwave, and don’t allow the beans to cool before adding the oil, vinegar and aromatics. Dressing them while hot ensures they are fully infused with flavor. To keep the flavors and colors fresh and bright, don’t add the avocado and herbs until you’re ready to serve.
4 15½-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more, to serve
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley, torn if large
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tsp. lemon juice
Directions
In a large microwave-safe bowl, toss the beans with 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and microwave on high until hot, 3 to 3½ minutes, stirring once halfway through.
To the hot beans, add the garlic, onion, vinegar, oil, 2 teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Let stand until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Stir the beans once again, then stir in the avocado, parsley, dill and lemon zest and juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with additional oil.
Growing up in the Midwest, Pasta e Fagioli wasn’t anywhere on my culinary radar. When I moved East decades ago, I quickly learned it was quite common in this region of the country. Minestrone, is a similar type of soup but the main difference between it and pasta e fagioli is the variety of vegetables in minestrone. Fagioli (pronounced fazool) is mainly pasta and beans in a broth, although this version includes kale and herbs among other plant additives.
A traditional Italian soup, it started as a peasant dish, being composed of inexpensive ingredients.
The key to a soup with fully developed savory flavor starts with the soffritto—a mix of aromatic vegetables that are slowly cooked in the first stage of cooking. Take your time sweating down the vegetables until they are completely softened before letting them take on any color. You’ll be surprised by how much volume they lose and how much liquid they release and by how much unquantifiable richness they lend to the final dish, which is nothing more than a combination of humble ingredients.
Even though we soaked our dried cannellini beans overnight, it still took several hours before they became creamy.
To up the flavor quota, Russ used two smoked ham hocks and 1 quart of homemade ham stock and included fresh rosemary and thyme, all of which are noted in the list of ingredients below. This recipe is doubled from the original Bon Appétit version, so you can easily cut it in half if desired. Be prepared that this soup is time consuming, so you’ll want to schedule a long lazy afternoon to make it.
1 lb. dried medium white beans (such as cannellini), soaked overnight if possible*
Kosher salt
8 carrots, scrubbed, coarsely chopped
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, coarsely chopped
12 garlic cloves
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzlingFreshly ground black pepper
2 smoked ham hocks
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
2 bunches Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn
4 Parmesan rinds (optional)
4 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
2 rosemary sprigs
3-3 1/2 qts. water and/or ham broth
1 lb. small pasta (such as ditalini)
Finely grated Parmesan, crushed red pepper flakes, and crusty bread (for serving)
*If you haven’t soaked the beans, do a power soak: Place beans in a large pot, cover with water by 1″, and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove pot from heat, stir in a palmful of salt, cover pot, and let beans sit 1 hour.
Directions
Pulse carrots, leek, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat ⅓ cup oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add chopped vegetables, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables start to sweat out some of their liquid, about 4 minutes. The goal at this stage is to slow cook the soffritto until the vegetables are very soft but have not taken on any color.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook, stirring every 5 minutes or so and reducing heat if mixture starts to brown, until vegetables are softened and juicy, about 15 minutes.
Add ham hock and cook, uncovered, stirring and scraping bottom of pot every 5 minutes, until soffritto is starting to brown in places and has lost at least half of its volume, about 10 minutes more.
Add beans and their soaking liquid, tomatoes, and kale; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then add Parmesan rinds (if using) and bay leaves. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook soup with lid askew, adding water (or stock, if you have it) as needed to keep beans submerged by 1″, until beans are very tender, 1–3 hours, depending on size and age of beans.
Fish out and discard Parmesan rinds. Remove ham hock and use a fork to pull meat off the bone. Return meat to soup; discard bone and any large pieces of fat.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling well-salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions. Drain pasta and add to soup, then taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. (Do not try to skip a step by cooking the pasta in the soup. The noodles will absorb all the available liquid and the liquid will be thick and gummy.)
Divide soup among bowls. Top with Parmesan, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve with bread for dunking if desired.
Having made the traditional recipe—which takes hours—we were thrilled to find this quick-and-easy version of the Spanish tapa known as Fabada Asturiana, a hearty stew of dried beans, sausage and other smoky, porky ingredients.
A number of years ago on our first trip to Spain, we were lucky enough to enjoy an authentic fabada, shown above, in the little Austurian town of Cabrales in Northern Spain. The Hubs liked it so much, he bought the ingredients and smuggled them home. Luckily (or not), because I had suffered a broken foot a few days earlier, we were whisked through airport customs back home, preventing our illegal meats and beans from being confiscated. (I don’t advise this tactic as a long term plan 🤣 )
I digress, back to the recipe at hand… Based on the changes from Milk Street, we pared back on the meats, using only chorizo and ham, both of which lend deep flavor to the broth. The dish gets its name from the large beans that are traditionally used in its preparation, but canned white beans work quite well. Preferred are the relatively large size and creamy texture of cannellinis, but great northern and navy beans are fine, too.
A pinch of saffron adds a very Spanish flavor and fragrance, while giving the stew an alluring golden hue. The color and flavor were also amped up from our homemade ham stock, which replaced the chicken broth.
The Hubs was sorely tempted to add a pinch of pimentón, but restrained himself from adding it to the stew. However, he did decide to sneak it onto the toasted crusty bread. BTW, it will serve six as a first course, or four as the main entrée.
TIP: Don’t overcook the chorizo and ham after adding it to the sautéed onion mixture. If the pieces begin to sear or brown, they’ll be chewy and rubbery in the finished dish. Cook only until the chorizo begins to release some of its fat.
8 oz. Spanish chorizo, casings removed, halved and thinly sliced
8 oz. ham steak, cut into ½-inch cubes
1½ qts. chicken broth, or ham stock, preferably homemade
3 15½-oz. cans white beans, rinsed and drained
3 bay leaves
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Warmed crusty bread, to serve
Directions
In a large pot over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, saffron and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the chorizo and ham, then cook, stirring, just until the chorizo begins to release its fat, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, beans and bay. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay, then stir in the scallions. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with bread.
Accounting for Taste 