Creamy Braised White Beans

Name: Creamy Braised White Beans
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 head garlic, halved crosswise; 1 cup whole milk; 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, with their liquid; 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed; 1 thyme sprig, 2 sage leaves or 1 bay leaf; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, allspice or garam masala; Kosher salt and black pepper; 4 slices crusty bread or thick toast; Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving; Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving; Aleppo pepper or red-pepper flakes, for serving

By Ali Slagle

Published March 18, 2020

Creamy Braised White Beans — Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 25 minutes
Rating: 4(6,909)
Comments: Read comments

Everything you need to make this humble-but-satisfying meal is probably in your kitchen at this very moment. Two cans of beans (chickpeas and white beans) are simmered with milk, a whole head of garlic, herbs and nutmeg for a rich and creamy vegetarian dinner that can be on the table in under a half-hour. Be sure to use whole milk here — it's the most flavorful and will yield the best results. Feel free to wilt greens like chard, watercress, arugula or basil into the beans, and serve with grated Parmesan and red-pepper flakes. A slice of crusty bread slicked with caramelized garlic is the perfect crunchy accompaniment to velvety beans.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1tablespoon unsalted butter
1head garlic, halved crosswise
1cup whole milk
1(15-ounce) can chickpeas, with their liquid
1(15-ounce) can white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed
1thyme sprig, 2 sage leaves or 1 bay leaf
⅛teaspoon ground nutmeg, allspice or garam masala
Kosher salt and black pepper
4slices crusty bread or thick toast
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Aleppo pepper or red-pepper flakes, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, cut side down, and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 2
Add the milk, chickpeas and their liquid, white beans, thyme and nutmeg and stir to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper. When the mixture begins to bubble around the edges of the pan (you don’t want it to come to a full boil), reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened and tastes great to you, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Step 3
Use a fork to remove the garlic halves from the beans. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then use the fork to remove the cloves from the skins. Spread the cloves on bread or toast.
Step 4
If you would like the beans to be more stew-like, mash some of the beans using a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Serve beans and milk in bowls. Garnish as you wish, with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan and a pinch of Aleppo pepper and black pepper. Serve with the bread alongside for dipping.

Tip

You can reheat leftovers the next day over low heat; the sauce will have thickened, but the beans will still be delicious.

Ratings

4 out of 5

6,909 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Raine Scott6 years ago

I have made this at least 5 times. My hubby who doesn't like garbanzo beans, actually loves this recipe. The problem is that this recipe only makes 4 small servings. He'll eat 2-3 servings in one go. I have added basil pesto and sundried tomato pesto to this before serving and it takes it to another level. This, is a fabulous recipe. Great for Meatless Mondays' . Thanks. I love this recipe

Chris6 years ago

Made a double batch of this last night for my vegan family. I used almond milk, Miyoko’s cultured, non-dairy butter, two cippolini onions and all the herbs! I added the chopped onions while the garlic was browning (but my garlic was not soft enough to spread on bread after just 5 minutes browning). I also added 6 thyme sprigs, 6 chopped sage leaves, and about 4 large bay leaves. We had it over rice pilaf and topped it with Violife’s delicious vegan Parmesan! Everyone LOVED it.

eM6 years ago

Milk is not "unhealthy"

RudisHuman1 month ago

Great recipe and template for using whatever is on hand. My variations (needed a grocery run!) which surprisingly came out great incl: * frozen peas vs unavailable fresh greens * sauteed onions and garlic * Berbere seasoning plus nutmeg * bay leaf and thyme incl stem (remove later) * small shell pasta (cooked in same pot, added add'l broth/milk) * homemade broth (made prior from scraps, bones, etc saved in freezer bag) Yes that's not the same recipe, but showing that even with nec'y substitutes, it'll still be awesome. The milk surprised me; it worked very well, making a creamier, more luscious meal than I would have thought. Will include it in the future. Assume alt milks will work as well...

lolz eatz1 month ago

I didn't have white beans in a can, I had rancho Gordo mayacoba dried beans, so I pressure cooked them for 25 minutes with some thyme and a bay leaf. Per other comments, I doubled the recipe. I made this for breakfast, so I also made poached eggs and fried sage on top. It was so good! I thought I had made enough for leftovers, but my partner ate more for lunch and dinner.

Dizzy3 months ago

Roast the garlic for sure. (Many thanks to all who suggested that)

Private comments are only visible to you.