Parmesan Braised Beans With Olives
Updated Jan. 24, 2024
- Total Time
- 6½ hours
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 2 hours 20 minutes, plus at least 4 hours’ soaking
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 1pound dried beans (any mix of white, brown and black beans), rinsed
- 1 to 3Parmesan rinds
- 2fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 to 3dried or fresh bay leaves
- Salt
- ⅓cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1cup loosely packed fresh rosemary and sage leaves
- Unsalted butter (optional), at room temperature
- Oil-cured black olives, pitted (see Tip)
- Coarsely grated Parmesan
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Beans
For Serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Soak the beans in plenty of water so they have room to expand, at least 4 hours (and up to 12 hours) in the refrigerator.
- Step 2
Drain and place the soaked beans in a large (5- to 8-quart) pot. Cover with at least 2 inches of water. Add the Parmesan rinds, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 2 to 4 hours. You may have to add more water during the cooking process. The beans should be very tender and somewhat brothy. A few minutes before they are done, remove and discard the thyme sprigs, bay leaves and rinds, then crush some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the broth. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate. (The beans can stay up to 5 days in their liquid.)
- Step 3
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium. Add a single sage leaf to test the oil; when it sizzles immediately, you’re good to go. Fry the rosemary and sage leaves, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until crispy and muted green in color, 30 to 90 seconds. Transfer the fried herbs to a paper towel to drain.
- Step 4
To serve, add ½ teaspoon butter, if using, and 4 olives to the bottom of each serving bowl. Ladle the beans into the bowls, then drizzle each with olive oil and top with cheese, pepper and fried herbs.
Tip
- Oil-cured black olives, with their wrinkly dark skins, have a much deeper and muskier flavor than brined ones and are worth seeking out for their specific butteriness. You can find them in any specialty Italian grocery or deli, or at the cold deli bar of many supermarkets.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
WK
I've always been lukewarm on beans -- if they accompanied something, I'd eat them. Then I read about Rancho Gordo, and their beans. I don't know why they're so much better than plain old grocery store beans, but they are. I had been ordering them directly from their website but then I found them in a little local grocery store near me. Either way, worth seeking out.
Schlattastic
Try braising your soaked beans in the oven versus stovetop simmering. Comes out perfect, and doesn’t need monitoring. Simply rinse/drain 1lb soaked beans, place in a Dutch oven with your fave aromatics (yes, even garlic), nice dash of salt, and a good glug of olive oil. Cover with fresh water to 1/2 inch or so above beans. Bring to a simmer on stove top, then bake covered in a pre-heated 335° oven for 75 minutes. Seriously good method.
Cheap in Minnesota
All of the fresh herbs can get rather pricey, defeating the appeal of the inexpensive beans. Questions: 1. Could one substitute dried thyme, rosemary and sage during cooking and then top with something like crispy, frizzled shallots? Yes, I know, not the same recipe but definitely more affordable… 2. And please answer the Parmesan rind questions for those of us who don’t happen to have any sitting around in the fridge…
Cash money
Parmesan rinds are the tough outer edge of high quality Parmesan like Parmesan Reggiano. Parmesan wedges in some refrigerated cases do not have this rind. In some stores that have a high quality cheese section (eg, Whole Foods) you can buy just the rinds. A reasonable substitute would be a chunk of Parmesan without any rind.
GF-Susan
If you haven’t read the accompanying article, you should! Eric Kim’s writing is as delicious as his recipes! “First, do not fear fried herbs, whose woodsy crunch completes the dish; skipping them is like watching “The Devil Wears Prada” without Emily Blunt. They break the tension. “ EK NYT
julicooks
My local grocery store sells parmesan rinds in their cheese section for a really reasonable price-under $3 for a container of 8 rinds. They freeze well and add a nice dimension to soups, sauces and, apparently, beans! I generally consider a piece that’s 2-3 inches long to be one rind.
bonsan215
Unlike most of the other commentators, I have cooked this dish. Soaked for about 4 hours, cooked for another 4. Used black, navy and pinto beans. Getting the temp right for frying the herbs was a little tricky, and 90 seconds way too long. The beans were delicious. I served this with a salad and toasted ciabatta with roasted garlic, like a big crouton. However, if this is your main, I don't think it makes 6-8 servings. I weighed the beans, and this just fed four of us with no leftovers.
Denis
I love beans! No Ned to soak them in the fridge though. At room temp it’s easier for them to partly germinate and begin breaking down starch into sugar.
LT
You can buy parmesan rinds at the grocery store, usually in the deli cheese section with all the other forms of parmesan (shaved, grated, etc.). If you tend to use parmesan, you can also just save the rind. I like to always have a bag of them in my freezer. They're a magical addition to soups and stews.
Heidi C
Re: the question about Parmesan rinds, if your grocery store has a cheese counter, sometimes they sell the rinds separately after grating the cheese—ask them. I usually buy hunks of Parmesan to grate as needed, and when only the rind is left, I throw it in a freezer baggie with the other rinds to use for things like this. You can use them right out of the freezer! I throw a rind into pasta sauce, soups, etc. while they're simmering to add depth and umami. Definitely keep your rinds!
dimmerswitch
GF-Susan, I agree with you about Eric Kim's writing. In this article and all others. In addition to becoming one of my favorite recipe developers he also has become one of my favorite food writers. I particularly enjoyed this from his article, ""...the beans at Ci Siamo, at once quotidian in ingredients and deluxe in flavor..."
matt
Don’t sweat it on the rinds Yes you would need to buy a “ block “ of Parmesan - probably about 1/2 pound And then take and cut the hard end of - I am guessing the reason she left the sizing vague because it is a bit “ depends “ and not too critical I would guess a piece or pieces about 2 to 4 inches square They are super hard and they gently melt with a dish I have used it in Italian red sauce
Paula
To Kathryn re: parm rinds. It’s the side of the chunk of Parmesan cheese that was around the outside of the large wheel of cheese. When you buy a piece you’ll usually notice that the rind is drier and has some of the lettering on it. Some people throw away this part cuz it can’t be grated. It’s great in soups & stocks. Hope this helps
Barbara
I almost bought a container of Parmesan Rinds at Whole Foods yesterday! what I do have is a forgotten chunk of Romano left over from holiday cooking, quite dry. Could work…
Katherine West
Parmesan rinds? I don’t have any parmesan in my fridge… and i didn’t see a substitution. So i go to the store and buy what side parmesan to get the rinds? I am so up in the air wih this ingredient and the recipe doesn’t provide ANY assistance. Very disappointing.
Brenda
With all due respect to Rancho Gordo, Inc., and all the free advertising it has received here...sorry, too expensive! I have made this many times, and tried many bean combinations. I think I have found the best yet: a one-pound bag of 15-bean soup mix. Toss the ham-flavoring packet (ugh), soak and cook just like this recipe says, and enjoy all the textures! Absolutebliss.
Don
Excellent! I made this with Rancho Gordo's Tarbais beans that are usually used in cassoulet. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of using a pressure cooker to start the beans due to living at 7500 ft where beans don't cook using the regular method. I then transferred the beans to the oven at 250 for longer braising time to infuse the parmesan flavor further. With the oil cured olives, fried herbs, and additional cheese and swirl of olive oil this is a 5 star meal!
Aline
This may be heretical. Although I have bought beans from Rancho Gordo and they are almost as great as their price tag would suggest, I am able to buy bulk beans in my local WinCo supermarket, a western chain. They are just as good as RG's, though I can't find all of the fancy names, like Tarbais. I suggest you look in your own bulk aisles, if your grocery has them. Except in the remotest spots in the hinterland, good food is available in the Real World, not only on the internet!
Melanie T.
Hella good.
Steven F. (New England)
Adding lemon zest, or even thinly sliced lemon peel, to the finished beans gives the dish a welcome brightness. And, YES, to Rancho Gordo dried beans!
bonnie
I’ve never refrigerated beans when soaking and am curious to understand the reason for doing so. If possible, could Hillary Sterling or Eric Kim shed some light. Thank you.
Susan
This reinforces my belief that pressure cooking is the way to go. It required So Much Cooking, and the beans still weren't the consistency I like.
Robert in NJ
I like this recipe though I did not try it yet. I have a container of Parm rinds. Only other use I know about is adding them to certain soups to add flavor. I really look forward to this disk.
Holly Sean
I used the oven braising method to phenomenal results. The beans are cooked but firm and full of flavor. I used half black beans and half navy beans with garlic, evoo, salt, Pecorino Romano rind, rosemary, and sage. I am serving them over polenta with extra finely-grated Pecorino Romano. Heaven in a bowl.
JW
I wish we could have a unit of measurement on the rinds, like 200 grams or something because my grocery store sells small rinds, so I could wrap my hand around 3 of them right there in my palm. But my specialty grocer sells large and thick chunks of rinds and 3 of those would be about 12 of the small bits the regular grocery store sells. So, three of the little bits of rinds or 3 large specialty store chunks of rind ....?
Amaronee
Just as the notes say, this is extraordinary flavor with very ordinary ingredients. It's quintessential southern Italian peasant food, with depth of flavor using what is abundant there: beans, herbs, parmesan, olive oil, olives. Super easy and low calorie at under 300 kCal per serving. Just one correction: I'd use less water and add as needed to get the consistency you want.
laura
Yes on the Ranch Gordo Beans ….they are outstanding , a whole new bean world . I use them , as in this recipe ,which is amazing , as dinners all the time . The black bean in a black bean soup is so flavorful . Canned beans are no longer an option .
debb
I had this dish at Ci Simao and it was delicious. I asked what the beans were and they said heirloom beans. I now order them online and they are fabulous. I will make this recipe for sure
AnnSo
Hi there, just so you know parmesan is not suited for a vegetrarian diet because an animal has been killed to make that cheese: indeed, the enzyme used to coagulate milk is animal rennet which is extracted from the fourth stomach of calves slaughtered before they are weaned. Sadly, It is always the case with AOP, (protected designation of origin, in France ), cheeses. AOP = NOT VEGGIE
Bonnie
I love this recipe and have made it a number of times. It's so good, and so easy. The one thing I would quibble with is the advice about oil-cured olives. I sought them out but found them to have been very bitter. The brined olives, however, added immeasurably to the pleasure of the soup.
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