Too often regarded as the vegetarians’ protein, or as fodder only for the poor, beans deserve praise, not prejudice. But I’m a little bean-biased. Or perhaps a lot. Beans make me unapologetically euphoric. I’m always ready to proselytize for the humble bean; for that matter, I’m also a lentil lover, a chickpea enthusiast, a split pea booster, and a fool for fava beans.
Dried beans are incredibly versatile—hot or cold; in salads and soups; long-cooked, baked, stewed, or mashed; on their own, anointed with olive oil; or simmered with ham hocks and eaten with cornbread. Beans done right are a nourishing meal at any time of the year.
The main thing to know about cooking dried beans is that new-crop beans taste fresher and cook more evenly than beans of uncertain vintage, like the beans sold at the supermarket, where they have lain for who knows how long. It’s better to buy dried beans at a farmers’ market or online from specialty growers. They cost a little more—many are heirloom varieties—but they are well worth the price.
Old World cooks knew only lentils, peas, chickpeas, and fava beans, which date back to ancient Greek and Roman times. It seems remarkable that the world has only relatively recently come to know the kidney bean family, Phaseolus vulgaris—New World varieties that include pinto, navy, black, cranberry, lima, and a host of others. All beans and legumes—much like every food that we have—were once wild, then subsequently cultivated, traded, transported, and grown on a mass scale.
Tiny Lentil Salad
Large flat brown lentils can be fine for soup, but for a great lentil salad, you want the tiny ones, such as the black lentils called beluga, gray-green lentilles du Puy, or Castelluccio lentils from Umbria. These lentils keep their shape and a somewhat firm texture when cooked.
FOR THE LENTILS
1 pound (about 2 cups) black lentils
1 small onion, stuck with a clove
A large thyme sprig
A bay leaf
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2½ cups diced onions
1½ cups diced carrots
1¼ cups diced celery
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons chopped thyme
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
FOR GARNISH
1 cup sliced scallions
½ cup chopped chervil
¼ cup chopped mint
To make the lentils, pick them over for stones or debris. Rinse them and put them in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, thyme, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover with 8 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but still firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain the lentils—discard the onion, thyme, and bay leaf but save the cooking liquid for another purpose (such as a soup or a pasta dish)—and spread them on a platter or baking sheet to cool to room temperature.
Put the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes; adjust the heat as necessary to keep the onions from browning. Add the carrots and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and add the cooled lentils.
To make the vinaigrette, mix together the vinegar, salt, thyme, and orange zest in a small bowl, then whisk in the olive oil. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
To finish the salad, season the lentil mixture generously with salt and pepper. Add the dressing and toss well. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour, for the flavors to meld.
Taste the salad for acid and salt (lentils tend to need a lot of vinegar). Transfer to a serving bowl and scatter the scallions, chervil, and mint over the top. Serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings
White Bean Crostini with Rosemary
Good for snacks with drinks, these Tuscan-inspired white bean toasts are unassuming but addictive. (Even bean-o-phobes agree.) There’s really nothing to it—the important part is making sure the bean puree is assertively seasoned. It’s a good use for leftover cooked beans. It’s quite good made with chickpeas too. For extra credit, grill the toast over coals.
2 cups warm cooked cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the bread
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
Pinch of cayenne
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper
1 baguette, sliced into thin rounds
Crushed red pepper
Put the beans, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, and fennel seeds in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Add the rosemary, parsley, and salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld, then taste and adjust the seasoning. (The bean puree can be prepared to this point up to a day in advance and refrigerated. Rewarm in a small saucepan over medium heat, thinning with a little bean cooking liquid as necessary.)
Heat the oven to 400 degrees (or, if you have your grill going, use that to toast the bread). Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and toast on a baking sheet in the oven (or over medium-hot coals), turning once, until golden.
Spread each toast with about 1 tablespoon white bean puree, warm or at room temperature. Garnish with chopped parsley and crushed red pepper. Makes about 2 cups
Biblical Brown Lentils
There’s really nothing better than lentils stewed slowly with onion, garlic, and Middle Eastern spices.
I call these Biblical brown lentils after the Old Testament story, in which Esau sells his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of porridge, which was likely a pot of soupy lentils. A fanatic lentil lover myself, I understand the temptation completely. Some say my “love” for lentils borders on obsession.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
A large thyme sprig
A bay leaf
1 short cinnamon stick
1 pound (about 2 cups) brown lentils, picked over for stones and debris and rinsed well
8 cups Blond Chicken Broth or water
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add the cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick and cook for 1 minute.
Add the lentils, then cover with the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, skim any rising foam, and simmer until the lentils are very tender, about 1 hour. Monitor the liquid level, making sure the soup doesn’t get too thick; add more broth or water if necessary.
Adjust the seasoning and serve the lentils. Makes 6 to 8 servings
Dried legumes (lentils, chickpeas, split peas), known as dal, are consumed daily by most Indians. Dal, whether served as a soup or a thicker stew, is truly, deeply delicious. The secret of great dal lies in a technique all Indian cooks know: Sizzle a handful of spices in hot ghee or oil to make a tarka. This dal features cumin seeds, or jeera, along with the near-obligatory turmeric, chopped garlic, chiles, and finely diced onion. The tarka transforms a pot of lentils into something rich-tasting, buttery, and shot through with flavor.
FOR THE dal
2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
1 pound (about 2¼ cups) red lentils, rinsed
10 cups water
FOR THE TARKA
2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Melt the ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and season generously with salt and pepper, then add the turmeric, cumin, and cayenne. Cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils and water and bring slowly to a boil. Skim and discard any rising foam—there may be a lot—and stir diligently, because sometimes the mixture can overflow the pot during the first few minutes of cooking.
Turn the heat down to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer gently for about 45 minutes, until the lentils are quite soft. When the lentils are cooked, taste and adjust the salt. For a smooth, velvety consistency, puree the dal in a blender, then return to the pot. Or, if you prefer some texture, just beat with a whisk for a minute or two. If the dal is very thick, thin with a little water. (I prefer it on the soupy side.)
To make the tarka: Heat the ghee in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the serrano, garlic, and cumin seeds and cook until the cumin is fragrant and the garlic is lightly colored, about 1 minute. Immediately pour the contents of the skillet into the pot and stir into the dal. Taste again and correct the seasoning if necessary. Makes 6 to 8 servings
Pasta e Ceci
The hearty Italian dish called pasta e ceci is traditionally a thick chickpea soup with a little pasta added at the end as a garnish. But this take on it, which may just be my own, reverses tradition: It’s a pasta in a savory sauce made from the chickpea broth, chock-full of ceci beans (chickpeas) and seasoned with rosemary and a fruity olive oil. I always cook more chickpeas than I need for this dish and then use the extra to make a soup or to add to a salad.
You could make this pasta dish with any type of dried bean. Add some chopped pancetta or bacon to cook with the onions if you wish.
FOR THE CHICKPEAS
2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water to cover
1 medium onion, halved
1 medium carrot
A bay leaf
A small rosemary sprig
Salt
FOR THE PASTA
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon chopped rosemary
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ pound orecchiette or other short dried pasta
¼ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated pecorino for serving
Put the drained chickpeas, the onion, carrot, bay leaf, and rosemary in a large saucepan and add cold water just to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, skim any rising foam, and cook gently for 30 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt and continue cooking until the chickpeas are tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let the chickpeas cool in their liquid. (The chickpeas can be cooked up to 2 days in advance, cooled, and refrigerated in their liquid.)
Put the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat, add the chopped onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, letting the onion brown slightly. Season generously with salt and black pepper, then stir in the crushed red pepper, rosemary, and garlic.
Drain the chickpeas, reserving their liquid. Add 2 cups of the chickpeas and 1 cup of the cooking liquid to the onion, stir to coat, and simmer over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. (Reserve the extra chickpeas and liquid for another purpose.) Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary—the mixture should be highly seasoned.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook just until quite al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water, and add to the chickpeas. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for about 2 minutes more, stirring to make a beany-starchy sauce in the bottom of the pan; add a little pasta water as necessary to keep the pasta moist.
Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley, then transfer to shallow soup bowls. Serve with freshly grated pecorino and a cruet of good fruity olive oil. makes 4 to 6 servings
Jamaican Split Pea Stew
The stew is even better the next day, but it will have thickened substantially. Add a little water to the pot when reheating it.
My friend Michael came back from Jamaica with the happy memory of a savory stew he had eaten there, made with yellow split peas, some salted pigs’ tails, and a few spices. He cooked it for me, knowing it was right up my alley, and it was spectacular. Here is my version of his dish. Since the salted pigs’ tails were not an option, I used fresh pork belly and a fresh pig’s foot instead—most butchers here have these. These gelatinous cuts give the stew its desired creamy consistency.
1 pound fresh pork belly, skin on
1 fresh pig’s foot (about 1 pound)
Salt
2 cups yellow split peas, picked over for stones and debris and rinsed
1 large onion, halved
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
½ teaspoon pepper
6 allspice berries
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
A large thyme sprig
1 tablespoon grated or minced garlic
6 cups water
2 cups coconut milk
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 large carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 scallions, chopped
Season the pork belly and pig’s foot generously with salt and put them in a large soup pot. Add water just to cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the split peas to the pot. Press a bay leaf against each onion half and secure it with 2 cloves. Add the onion, black pepper, allspice berries, Scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, garlic, water, and coconut milk to the pot and bring to a boil. Skim any rising foam, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and the split peas are mushy and falling apart. Fish out the pork belly, chop it into rough 2-inch pieces, and return it to the pot.
Add the potatoes and carrots (and a little more water if the stew seems too thick) and cook for 20 minutes more, or until the vegetables are tender. Check the seasoning and add salt if necessary.
Serve the stew in large soup bowls, sprinkled with the scallions. Makes 6 to 8 servings
Cowboy Beans with Bacon
Greetings from the Clean Plate Club.
Pinto beans are good, cheap, hearty fare—cowboy food. But they are actually some of the best-tasting dried beans, with a natural sweetness. These plain ones make a great meal on a plate with a chunk of cornbread, the way I first had them years ago while working on a cattle ranch. It was deliberately a plate, not a bowl, and they were meant to be eaten with a fork, not a spoon. So said the cook. Always cook your beans at a bare simmer, and be sure to keep the liquid level no more than 1 inch above the level of the beans. This keeps the beans from falling apart and concentrates the flavor of the “gravy,” or bean broth, so it’s not thin or watery.
1 pound (about 2 cups) dried pinto beans, picked over for stones and debris and rinsed
1 small onion, halved
A bay leaf
¾ pound slab bacon
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Put the beans in a soup pot and add the onion, bay leaf, and bacon. Add water to cover by 1 inch and bring to a boil. Skim any rising foam, then reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the salt, paprika, and cayenne and continue simmering until the beans are soft and creamy and the broth is lightly thickened, 30 minutes to 1 hour more.
Remove the bacon and roughly chop, then return it to the pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Makes 4 to 6 servings
Note: The beans can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled, and refrigerated in their liquid; reheat to serve, adding a little water if necessary.
Black Beans with Chorizo and Squid
This spicy dish of black beans and squid is both dramatic-looking and whimsical. I’ve always been fond of white beans and calamari in salads and pastas. Having only black beans on hand one day was serendipitous. It turns out that black bean broth has a richness (and color) uncannily similar to squid ink—a sensational discovery. Chorizo, garlic, olive oil, and hot pepper also play an important role in this success story.
FOR THE BEANS
1 cup dried black beans, picked over for stones and debris and rinsed
1 medium onion, halved and each half stuck with a clove
1 medium carrot
A bay leaf
A small rosemary sprig
Salt
FOR THE SQUID
1 pound cleaned squid bodies and tentacles
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ pound Spanish chorizo, cut into ½-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup herbed bread crumbs (see Butter Bean Gratin; optional)
Put the beans, onion, carrot, bay leaf, and rosemary in a large saucepan, add cold water just to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, skim any rising foam, and cook gently for 30 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt and continue cooking until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let the beans cool in their liquid. (The beans can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated in their liquid.)
When ready to serve, reheat the beans by combining them in a saucepan with 1 cup of their cooking liquid and simmering them over medium heat to reduce and thicken the bean broth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep warm.
Slice the squid bodies crosswise into 1-inch pieces; split any larger clusters of tentacles in half. Rinse the squid, drain in a colander, and pat dry. Spread out on a plate or baking sheet and season generously with salt and black pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook for a minute or so to release some of the (tasty) fat, then add the garlic and crushed red pepper and let sizzle for 10 seconds. Raise the heat to high, add the squid, and cook, stirring constantly, until the squid is puffed and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions, parsley, and lemon zest and juice.
Spoon the warm beans onto a platter. Top with the squid and all the juices from the pan. Garnish with the bread crumbs if you like. Makes 4 to 6 servings
Squid sizzling with chorizo, garlic, and hot pepper.
