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Brothy Beans with Roasted Tomatoes

When it comes to beans, people often feel like they need to be extra, paired with many ingredients, and fussed over—often feeling that beans have no flavor. However, when given just a bit of love (like in these brothy beans), the taste and texture of the beans are unmatched.
Servings: 6
Author: Naturally Ella

Ingredients

Beans:

  • 1 cup dried navy beans 190 grams
  • 3 cups cool water 720 milliliters
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Broth:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion peeled and cut into wedges
  • 5-6 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
  • 1-2 tablespoons white miso 32 g
  • 1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar

For Finishing:

  • ½ recipe roasted cherry tomatoes
  • black pepper

Instructions

To prep the beans:

  • Roughly 8 hours before you plan to cook them, place them in a jar with the cool water and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
  • Cover and let them rest at room temperature. You can also prep the tomatoes the night before, as they take a little more time to cook!

To cook the beans:

  • Heat a medium or large pot over medium-high heat with the ¼ cup of olive oil.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic.
  • Cook until the onion and garlic have browned, flipping as needed to get all sides.
  • Drain, but do not rinse your beans, then add them to the pot.
  • Cover with 1” of water.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, and cook until the beans are tender but not falling apart, 20-25 minutes.
  • If you have a lot of liquid left, use a slotted spoon to remove the beans, bring the broth to a boil, and cook until there is enough liquid just to cover the beans. Add the beans back in and continue as usual. You can leave the added broth and have a bowl of extra brothy beans- it’s up to you!
  • Turn off the heat once you have tender beans and flavorful broth.
  • Place 1 tablespoon of miso in a ladle and skim a bit of broth into the ladle. Using a spoon, stir the miso and broth together to loosen the miso–this technique helps the miso incorporate a bit easier.
  • Dip the ladle into the pot of beans, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and stir to distribute evenly.
  • Taste and add more miso, vinegar, or a pinch of kosher salt to find a balance you enjoy.

To finish the beans:

  • Divide them into 3-4 bowls.
  • Swirl in enough of the roasted tomatoes to satisfy your taste buds, and drizzle with more olive oil if desired.
  • Finish with a few cracks of black pepper before serving.

Notes

  • Bean Variety: Use whatever bean (or lentil!) is calling your name at the moment, and adjust the liquid as needed to keep the beans brothy.
  • Bean Cooking Additions: I typically keep the broth simple, relying on alliums to do the heavy lifting. However, you can play more! Try adding large pieces of carrots, mushrooms, or woody herbs at the beginning of cooking or ginger, whole spices (in a little satchel so they don’t get lost), or chiles towards the end of cooking.
  • For the tomatoes: This is a component I always have on hand during the summer. Find the recipe here.
  • Using precooked or canned beans: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and add 2-3 minced garlic cloves, 3 cups of cooked beans, and enough broth to cover. If you’re using canned beans, I recommend draining the liquid and using vegetable broth instead of the bean liquid to have more flavor-building capabilities. Bring the mixture to a boil, cook until the broth thickens slightly, and finish the recipe as written.