Carla Makes Beans | From the Test Kitchen | Bon Appétit

butter beans

🥗Healthier: cannellini beans

💰Cheaper: pinto beans

Cannellini beans are lower in calories, while pinto beans are often less expensive.

vegetable broth

🥗Healthier: homemade vegetable stock

💰Cheaper: water

Homemade stock is fresher and can be made with scraps, while water is the most economical.

Introduce the video and mention the importance of cooking beans properly.

Show the butter beans, also known as baby limas, and explain the importance of freshness in dried beans.

Soak the beans in cold water, bringing them to a boil and covering them for one hour, or overnight for better results.

Demonstrate the difference between soaked and unsoaked beans, noting how much plumper the soaked beans are.

Add a generous amount of salt to the soaking water, explaining that beans can take a lot of salt.

Heat the soaked beans in a pot with fresh water, bringing it to a boil and skimming off any foam that rises to the top.

Lower the heat to a gentle simmer to avoid breaking the beans apart during cooking.

Smash and peel garlic and add it to the pot.

Add a generous amount of olive oil to the pot, explaining that it will enhance the flavor of the beans.

Add fresh herbs like oregano and mint to the pot, mentioning that you can use whatever herbs you have on hand.

Char a lemon and add it to the pot, or simply add lemon peel if you don't have a charred lemon.

Continue to simmer the beans gently, adding more salt as needed throughout the cooking process.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary