Faith Middleton's Food Schmooze

Cooking with Scraps: Brothy Beans with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Rind

Courselunch, soup, starter
CuisineAmerican

Servings

6-8 as a side dish

Servings

6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients

1pound 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.)
2heads garlic
extra virgin olive oil
1medium-sized white onionpeeled, halved, and root end just barely trimmed so the layers remain together
1 Parmesan rind
3springs thyme
2-1/2teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
1teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
freshly ground black pepperfor serving
freshly-grated Parmesan cheesefor garnish (optional)
Charred Asparagus End Pesto,for garnish (optional) [You could use any pesto you like]
Slices of crusty bread,for serving (optional)

Instructions

Place the beans in a large pot and add 8 cups water.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice each head of garlic in half horizontally, and discard most of the papery outer covering (you want the heads to remain intact). Put the heads back together, set each one on a small piece of aluminum foil, and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the aluminum foil up around each head to seal it into a packet. Bake until the garlic cloves are soft, about 40 minutes. Set aside to cool. Turn off the oven.
The beans will have expanded after soaking, so make sure they’re still covered by the soaking water, but not by very much. Add the onion halves, Parmesan rind, and thyme to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; keep at a boil for 10 minutes. Then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to keep the beans at a gentle simmer—medium or medium-low heat, depending on your stovetop. If the water level drops below the beans, add hot water from a teakettle to just barely cover them again—don’t add too much!
Cook until tender—as little as 40 minutes or as much as 3 hours. It’s important to go by taste, because bean freshness, size, and soaking can affect cooking time. Once the beans are tender, remove and discard the Parmesan rind and thyme stems. Remove the onion halves and place them in a tall narrow container. Squeeze in the garlic cloves from one of the roasted heads, and puree using an immersion blender. (A mini food processor would also work.)
Add the garlic and onion puree to the pot of beans along with the salt and vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Ladle the beans into bowls and garnish each with black pepper, grated Parmesan, and a scoop of pesto, if desired. Serve with bread smeared with the remaining roasted garlic.