These brothy beans are inspired by a recipe that Food52 cofounder Merrill Stubbs makes—they’re a stripped-down, vegetarian take on hers. The shorter ingredient list is offset by a couple of slightly fussy steps, but that—along with really good dried beans—is what keeps this dish from being basic, boring beans. Serve them as is, or make them a meal by topping them with a poached egg and some greens—or a scoop of pesto.
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish
- 1 pound dry white beans, soaked (I try to soak them for 2 to 4 hours—it will speed up their cooking time and help them cook more evenly. Soaking isn’t essential if the timing doesn’t work with your schedule; they’ll just take longer to cook in step 4.)
- 2 heads garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-size white onion, peeled, halved, and root end just barely trimmed so the layers remain together
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 1/2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper, for serving
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
- Pesto, for garnish (optional)
- Slices of crusty bread, for serving (optional)
