by Kylie PerrottiPosted on April 25, 2021May 6, 2022
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Brothy beans with radicchio are a must-have in your white beans recipe library. This radicchio recipe is easy to prepare and so delicious!
Radicchio is a beautiful bitter vegetable that pairs perfectly with herby, creamy beans. Although it may look like cabbage, radicchio is part of the chicory family, along with escarole and curly endives. These vegetables are related to lettuces but are pretty bitter. This bitter flavor can mellow if it is sautéed or grilled.
In this radicchio and white beans recipe, bitter radicchio gets a little massage first and marinates with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. I enjoyed the bitter flavor paired with the beans. If you’re averse to bitter tastes, you may want to roast the radicchio leaves instead. If you don’t love bitter vegetables, look at my substitution suggestions below!
How to Make Brothy White Beans with Radicchio
This recipe is so easy to prepare.
First, prepare the radicchio. Cut the bottom stump from the radicchio and peel off each leaf individually. Place the leaves in the bowl with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and zest, and salt, and use your hands to massage the leaves for a minute or two gently. You will feel the leaves tenderize slightly. Set aside at room temperature to marinate for 30 minutes.
Next, just cook the beans. Prepare the beans with a bit of oil, onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, and stock. Add the beans and let them simmer for 30 minutes. Finishing the dish is as simple as adding some fresh herbs and more lemon juice and zest. That’s it! Once the herbs are bright green, turn off the heat and serve the beans with the marinated radicchio.
If you’re not a fan of radicchio or if you just can’t find it, try these substitutions:
Chopped kale, lacinato or curly
Escarole
Shaved brussels sprouts
Shredded green or purple cabbage
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Brothy Beans with Radicchio
Brothy beans with radicchio are a must-have in your white beans recipe library. This radicchio recipe is easy to prepare and so delicious!
In a bowl, combine the lemon juice, zest, and extra virgin olive oil. Add the radicchio and use your hands to massage the marinade into the leaves. Season with salt and set aside for 30 minutes.
Start the beans:
Heat olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until it is completely softened and beginning to brown.
Place garlic in a food processor and pulse until minced. Add it to the onion along with the crushed red pepper and cook for 45 seconds until fragrant.
Simmer the beans:
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the beans. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until broth is reduced and thickened slightly. Note: you can add butter (plant-based or dairy) or tahini to help thicken the broth. Season the broth with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, place the dill and parsley in the food processor and pulse until minced.
Finish the beans:
Stir in the lemon juice, zest, dill, and parsley and season the broth again to taste. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the herbs are bright green. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
Arrange a few leaves of marinated radicchio on a shallow bowl and ladle the beans on top. Enjoy!
Unlike Navy Beans, Great Northern beans retain their shape when they're cooked, making them an excellent candidate for white bean soups and stews or — my own personal favorite – Vegan Cassoulet. Great Northern Beans have a mild, nutty flavor.
Cannellini Beans: Cannellini beans are a popular white bean native to Southern Italy. They are large and oval in size with a nutty flavor and a creamy texture. Cannellini beans are also called white kidney beans.
Transfer the soaked beans to a large pot and cover them with 2 inches of water. If you're using unsoaked beans, rinse them in a fine mesh strainer before you add them to the pot. Bring the water to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, discarding any foam that rises to the surface.
White beans, also known as white navy beans, offer extraordinary health benefits. They are loaded with antioxidants and provide a good supply of detoxifying molybdenum. They are also a good source of fiber and protein and rank low on the glycemic index.
Those aromatics in the pot will revolutionize the beans' final flavor. The aromatics I tend to use are onions, carrots, garlic, and celery, and then heartier, woodsy herbs, like rosemary, sage, and thyme, which marry beautifully with the earthy-sweet flavor of beans.
What Are White Beans? White beans as a category includes navy beans, great northern beans, cannellini beans, baby lima beans, butter beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, etc. These are the most popular types of white beans (cooked white beans), however each type has its own unique peculiarities and features.
Another option for protein rich beans is the large white bean or cannellini bean. This tender, earthy bean is a great source of protein, with a little under 17 grams in a one-cup serving, and fiber. They can be added to various soups and casseroles to amp up the protein power and flavor.
Because they get creamy when cooked, they're perfect for mashing against the side of the pot, pureeing in dips, and thickening soups, stews, ragouts, and more.
Fun Fact: Discarding the soaking water and rinsing beans can help make cooked beans more digestible. Some people choose to save the soaking liquid because some nutrients are leeched from the beans into the liquid during soaking. We prefer to drain our soaking liquid but you can decide what works best for you.
Cook the beans uncovered until they're tender. Some foam might gather on top of the pot; skim it off with a spoon as necessary. If the water level drops below the beans, add more water so the beans are covered at all times.
Besides the nutritional benefits, cannellini beans are great in the kitchen. They can boost the taste and texture of many dishes. But remember not to overeat them to avoid digestive woes.
Yes! "Eating beans, including canned beans, every day is one of the best things you can do to help increase nutrients [that you may fall short on] and substantially improve the quality of your diet," says Papanikolaou.
Beans, particularly small white navy beans, are full of gut-supporting fibers, amino acids, and other nutrients, which can help the beneficial bacteria in your colon flourish, supporting immune health and regulating inflammation, Daniel-MacDougall explains.
Larger than Navy Beans but smaller than Cannellini beans, medium-sized Great Northern beans are known for their mild, nutty flavor and firm flesh. Great in soups and stews, they hold their shape better than Navy beans, take on the flavors of the foods they're cooked with, and are commonly used in French cassoulets.
Cannellini and great northern beans are similar but they do have subtle differences in flavor and texture. That said, if it's 30 minutes until dinnertime and you're staring at a can of the "wrong" kind of beans in your pantry, rest assured that you can swap one for another.
Introduction: My name is Edwin Metz, I am a fair, energetic, helpful, brave, outstanding, nice, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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