1 lb dried beans, soaked overnight in salted water, drained*
1 large peeled onion, left whole
1 medium carrot, peeled and left whole
5 whole cloves garlic, peeled
4 thyme sprigs and/or a few parsley stems tied together with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
2 dried chiles de árbol or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Other additions: small head of fennel, slice of bacon or a ham hock, a few dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms
For serving:
¼ cup or more good quality olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Cooking the beans:
Bring the beans, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, chiles, oil and 8 cups water to a simmer in a Dutch oven or pot with lid, over medium heat**.
Reduce the heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the beans are creamy all the way through, 50-65 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook them in a 350ºF oven. The cooking time will vary according to the size and age of the beans. (To speed up the cooking, use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.)
Remove the thyme sprigs, bay leaf and chiles and discard. Remove the vegetables and chop roughly and place back in with the beans, if you wish. Strain the beans, saving the water. You can use it to make a soup. Season the beans generously with salt.
Serve at room temperature or chilled, topped with freshly black pepper and a generous drizzle of oil. Delicious on a slice of toasted bread with your favorite hot sauce.
*Soaking overnight: This will speed up the cooking. Always pick through the beans to remove any small stones or moldy looking beans. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt per pound of beans. Cover them with cold water to 2-inches above the surface of the beans. Drain and rinse before you start cooking.
To quick-soak beans, cover them with cold water, bring to a boil, turn them off, and let them sit for 1 hour.
Cook from dried: You can just put the beans in a pot and cook them from dried. They will take much longer and need more water. A pressure cooker or Instant Pot can speed up this process – for example Cannellini beans in a pressure cooker will cook in 30-35 minutes from dry and 6-9 minutes if you soak them overnight.
Finished Beans