colleenmomof2
Well-known member
We were so pleased! DH started eating this last night at dinner and went back for a second (small) helping before he ate anything else on his plate. It was that good! Served alongside lasagna in the same bowl.
I only made 1/2 of the recipe (1 can of beans) and only used 2 TBS of the herb oil over the beans (yay, leftover herb oil). I substituted Costco refrigerated pesto in place of basil and oil - also used much less oil throughout the recipe. I've included the Cooking Notes I chose when I copied the recipe - there are many more at link. Colleen
NYT Creamy White Beans With Herb Oil
* YIELD2 to 4 servings
* TIME15 minutes
Canned beans are transformed into a hearty, elegant main swirled with an herb oil that comes together in no time with the aid of a food processor. This particular oil includes chives, cilantro and basil, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Parsley and mint would also work well. Serve with a chilled glass of red wine, a big green salad and a loaf of crusty bread.
FOR THE HERB OIL:
* ½ cup roughly chopped chives
* ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
* ½ cup tightly packed basil leaves
* ½ cup olive oil
* Squeeze of lemon
* Kosher salt, to taste
FOR THE BEANS:
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
* 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, like butter beans or cannellini, rinsed and drained
* Kosher salt and black pepper
* ½ cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
* Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
PREPARATION
1. Make the oil: In a food processor, combine chives, cilantro and basil, and pulse until finely chopped. Add olive oil, and pulse again until mixture is silky and emulsified. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
2. Prepare the beans: In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 2 to 3 minutes. With the back of a spoon or spatula, smash about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the beans and stir until they are incorporated into the rest of the bean mixture. A good portion of the remaining beans should maintain their structure.
3. Add stock or water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until sauce becomes creamy and is reduced by about about half, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Smash additional beans and add a few more tablespoons of water, if needed, to reach desired consistency and stir again to combined.
4. Transfer beans to a bowl and swirl with herb oil on top. Season with flaky salt, if desired.
NYT COOKING NOTES
Yes canned beans are a convenience but taking the time to cook the beans by simmering them in water for an hour or so means you do without a great deal of unwanted sodium, get much better tasting beans, and voilà, you can use the beans' cooking water as the stock. As an alternative you could cook the beans ahead and freeze them until you're ready for this dish.
I added some grape tomatoes cut in half, sautéing them with the garlic, and used a pre-made pesto. Excellent! Amazing that so much flavor is achieved so simply. The herb oil is much more than needed for the beans---but it makes a great marinade for chicken breasts or vegetables. I once made this with half chickpeas (opened the wrong can) and it was also delicious.
Yes, they are delicious the next day.
I made the herb oil more like a pesto by adding a couple of spoonfuls of parmesan.
I didn't have white beans on hand, but I swapped out black beans and added two cobs of fresh corn kernels (after mashing some of the beans). I also didn't have chives, but I had garlic scapes from my CSA and they were excellent in the herb oil! I used the rest of the oil in an olive, tomato and sun-dried tomato bruschetta the next day.
If you have a small cuisinart, use it to make the sauce; it's much easier than doing it in a big cuisinart. Also, make double the sauce - it is good on fish, chicken, in scrambled eggs, etc.
Served it over red quinoa. Passing the recipe on to my guests and will make it again for company.
I love it the way it is, but someone here thinks it would be even better with bacon!
I used pinto beans instead, and made without cilantro since I didn’t have any. I also cut down on the oil significantly. It was absolutely delicious! I ate over squash. The recipe is very forgiving and flexible!
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019385-creamy-white-beans-with-herb-oil
I only made 1/2 of the recipe (1 can of beans) and only used 2 TBS of the herb oil over the beans (yay, leftover herb oil). I substituted Costco refrigerated pesto in place of basil and oil - also used much less oil throughout the recipe. I've included the Cooking Notes I chose when I copied the recipe - there are many more at link. Colleen
NYT Creamy White Beans With Herb Oil
* YIELD2 to 4 servings
* TIME15 minutes
Canned beans are transformed into a hearty, elegant main swirled with an herb oil that comes together in no time with the aid of a food processor. This particular oil includes chives, cilantro and basil, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Parsley and mint would also work well. Serve with a chilled glass of red wine, a big green salad and a loaf of crusty bread.
FOR THE HERB OIL:
* ½ cup roughly chopped chives
* ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
* ½ cup tightly packed basil leaves
* ½ cup olive oil
* Squeeze of lemon
* Kosher salt, to taste
FOR THE BEANS:
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
* 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, like butter beans or cannellini, rinsed and drained
* Kosher salt and black pepper
* ½ cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
* Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
PREPARATION
1. Make the oil: In a food processor, combine chives, cilantro and basil, and pulse until finely chopped. Add olive oil, and pulse again until mixture is silky and emulsified. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
2. Prepare the beans: In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 2 to 3 minutes. With the back of a spoon or spatula, smash about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the beans and stir until they are incorporated into the rest of the bean mixture. A good portion of the remaining beans should maintain their structure.
3. Add stock or water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until sauce becomes creamy and is reduced by about about half, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Smash additional beans and add a few more tablespoons of water, if needed, to reach desired consistency and stir again to combined.
4. Transfer beans to a bowl and swirl with herb oil on top. Season with flaky salt, if desired.
NYT COOKING NOTES
Yes canned beans are a convenience but taking the time to cook the beans by simmering them in water for an hour or so means you do without a great deal of unwanted sodium, get much better tasting beans, and voilà, you can use the beans' cooking water as the stock. As an alternative you could cook the beans ahead and freeze them until you're ready for this dish.
I added some grape tomatoes cut in half, sautéing them with the garlic, and used a pre-made pesto. Excellent! Amazing that so much flavor is achieved so simply. The herb oil is much more than needed for the beans---but it makes a great marinade for chicken breasts or vegetables. I once made this with half chickpeas (opened the wrong can) and it was also delicious.
Yes, they are delicious the next day.
I made the herb oil more like a pesto by adding a couple of spoonfuls of parmesan.
I didn't have white beans on hand, but I swapped out black beans and added two cobs of fresh corn kernels (after mashing some of the beans). I also didn't have chives, but I had garlic scapes from my CSA and they were excellent in the herb oil! I used the rest of the oil in an olive, tomato and sun-dried tomato bruschetta the next day.
If you have a small cuisinart, use it to make the sauce; it's much easier than doing it in a big cuisinart. Also, make double the sauce - it is good on fish, chicken, in scrambled eggs, etc.
Served it over red quinoa. Passing the recipe on to my guests and will make it again for company.
I love it the way it is, but someone here thinks it would be even better with bacon!
I used pinto beans instead, and made without cilantro since I didn’t have any. I also cut down on the oil significantly. It was absolutely delicious! I ate over squash. The recipe is very forgiving and flexible!
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019385-creamy-white-beans-with-herb-oil