Rosemary and Garlic White Beans

Oh, legumes….how do I count the ways? You are a blank canvas for any combination of flavor that I desire to develop. In my blog, you are far too good to be just on the side. That is why I have made you the star, and the other vegetables and grains can be thrown to the side. Not you, in your magical fruit glory (yes, they are a fruit, technically).

You, dear legumes, are the star of the show.

In all seriousness, these braised white beans with rosemary are drool-worthy. I crave them at least once a week, and thankfully it takes almost zero effort to throw them together.

For those of you who do not know what braising is, it is a cooking method that involves both dry and moist (hate that word) heat. It is one of my favorite methods of cooking because it allows you to build layers of flavor as you go and is extremely simple.

Recipe: Braised White Beans

Ingredients

½ sweet onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
16 oz white beans
1.5 c veggie stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in medium sized pan and saute onions until soft.

Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add white beans to pot and cook until slightly browned.

De-glaze the pan with veggie stock.

Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary sprigs.

Simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until liquid is dissolved and bean mixture has broken down, stirring on and off.

Hint: You will know when the dish is almost done when the rosemary pulls away from the rosemary stalk when stirring because it is so tender

Start with 1/2 an onion and a ridiculous amount of garlic (I used 5 cloves):

Sauté the onion until translucent thenadd the garlic until fragrant:

Add the beans and cook until they begin to brown. Add veggie stock and de-glaze the pan:

Add rosemary, salt, and pepper to mixture and simmer until liquid is gone:

This is what it looks like after simmering for about 45 minutes. The rosemary leaves have become so tender that they fall off the stalk and perfume the entire pot:

Serve!

Enjoy!