White Beans With Chicory

Name: White Beans With Chicory
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a starter
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 1 pound dried cannellini beans, washed and picked over, soaked for 4 to 6 hours in 2 quarts water and drained; 1 medium onion, peeled, cut in half; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 bay leaf; Salt to taste; 1 pound escarole, chicory or Batavia lettuce, leaves separated and washed; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, minced

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: About 2 hours 30 minutes
Rating: 4(42)
Comments: Read comments

This is inspired by a classic dish from Apulia, the heel of the Italian boot. The authentic dish is a warm purée of skinned dried fava beans, served with cooked greens, usually chicory, a bitter green that is in the same family as escarole. If you are getting big heads of escarole or another hearty bitter lettuce called Batavia in your C.S.A. baskets, use the tough outer leaves for this and save the tender hearts for salads.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a starter

1pound dried cannellini beans, washed and picked over, soaked for 4 to 6 hours in 2 quarts water and drained
1medium onion, peeled, cut in half
4garlic cloves, crushed
1bay leaf
Salt to taste
1pound escarole, chicory or Batavia lettuce, leaves separated and washed
3tablespoons olive oil
2garlic cloves, minced

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Combine the beans with 2 quarts water in a 4-quart pot and bring to a boil. Skim any foam, then add the onion, crushed garlic, bay leaf and salt to taste. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours, until the beans are very tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove and discard the onion, garlic cloves if desired, and bay leaf. Drain through a colander or strainer set over a bowl. Mash the beans with a potato masher and moisten with some of the cooking liquid. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. The purée should be loose.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the lettuce. Cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water and drain. Squeeze out water and chop coarsely.
Step 3
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, and stir in the lettuce. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until the lettuce is nicely coated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the mashed beans.

Tip

Advance preparation: This is best served on the day it's cooked, but it makes a good leftover. The cooked beans will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. The cooked greens will keep for 2 to 3 days. Reheat both before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5

42 user ratings

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Comments

Hank7 years ago

Awesome and easy to prepare. I soaked the beans overnight, cooked them for 45 minutes when I arrived home from work, and they were delicious. I saved a bit of the onion to mash with the beans. The chicory plays off the beans beautifully.

Hank7 years ago

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