Description
A comforting and flavorful Brothy Beans with Garlic Toast recipe featuring tender Great Northern white beans simmered in an aromatic chicken broth with herbs and saffron, served with crispy garlic-rubbed toasted baguette slices for a hearty, satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Beans and Broth
- 2 cups dried Great Northern white beans
- 48 ounces chicken stock or broth
- 1/2 head garlic, sliced in half
- 1 slice fresh ginger
- 1 dried chili pepper
- 1 shallot, sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bunch thyme sprigs, tied in a bundle
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- A pinch or two of saffron
- 1 Parmesan cheese rind
Egg Mixture and Herbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Fresh chopped rosemary and thyme leaves
Garlic Toast
- 6 slices of baguette loaf (use 12 if slices are small)
- Olive oil, for frying
- 1 or 2 garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise
- Sea salt, to taste
- Grated Parmesan, optional
Instructions
- Soak the Beans: Rinse the dried beans thoroughly. For a quick soak, place beans in a pot and cover with several inches of cold water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. For a traditional soak, cover beans with cold water and soak overnight. Drain soaked beans and return them to the pot.
- Simmer Beans with Aromatics: Add the chicken stock and all aromatics—halved garlic, ginger slice, dried chili pepper, sliced shallot, bay leaves, thyme bundle, rosemary sprig, saffron, and Parmesan rind—to the beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 40 minutes or until beans are tender.
- Prepare Garlic Toast: While the beans cook, heat olive oil to generously coat the bottom of a sauté pan. Fry the baguette slices on both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan, rub the tops of the bread slices with the cut sides of the garlic cloves, and season with sea salt. Set aside.
- Temper the Egg and Finish Beans: Remove the aromatics from the bean pot. Ladle some hot bean broth into the beaten egg gradually while whisking constantly to temper the egg. After adding 2 to 3 ladles, pour the tempered egg mixture back into the beans and stir to combine thoroughly. Stir in fresh chopped rosemary and thyme leaves.
- Serve: Place a slice or two of garlic toast at the bottom of serving bowls. Ladle the brothy beans over the toast. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes
- Soaking beans overnight improves texture and reduces cooking time but quick soaking works well in a pinch.
- Use fresh herbs for best flavor, but dried can be substituted if necessary.
- The Parmesan rind adds depth to the broth and can be saved from Parmesan cheese packaging.
- Be careful when tempering the egg to avoid scrambling—it should be incorporated slowly.
- Garlic bread can be made in advance and reheated, but fresh frying yields best crispness.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken stock with vegetable broth.
