Hi Reader,

When I was a kid, beans were not optional. Ho-no! They appeared with the regularity of my godfather's Saturday-night stock car race. White beans with pork, black-eyed peas with tuna, lentils simmered until they slumped into submission. My mother insisted they were “good for you,” which, in childhood, was code for “culinary punishment.”

But somewhere along the way, I stopped sulking and started swooning. Maybe it was my aunt Irene's feijoada, a slow-cooked bacchanal of beans, sausage, and whatever pork parts happened to be lurking in the freezer. Maybe it was the humble lentil soup that saw me through my starving-writer years in New York (with more lentils than ambition in my cupboards). Whatever the turning point, I finally understood: beans aren’t filler. They’re flavor, history, and comfort disguised in humble little packages.
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These days, I reach for beans when I want depth without drama. (Imagine: Me not wanting drama!) A can of chickpeas becomes silky hummus or crisps up beautifully in the oven. A pot of black beans, seasoned with nothing more than garlic and olive oil, tastes like I’ve cooked all day—even if I haven’t. And the truth? In my house, the real quiet hero isn’t the bean. It’s the cook who knows how to coax it into greatness.

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How to Cook Beans Like a Pro (Without Tears)

1. Canned or Dried?: Both work. Dried beans offer better texture and flavor; canned beans are your weeknight savior.
2. Soak Smart: Overnight is best, but the quick-soak method (boil for 2 minutes, then sit for 1 hour) works in a pinch.
3. Season Generously: Salt early and often—plus garlic, bay leaves, onion, or a Parmesan rind tossed into the pot. Add any acid, such as tomatoes, vinegar, or citrus, toward the end of cooking, as it can prevent the beans from cooking fully.
4. Don’t Fear Fat: Olive oil, bacon, or a chunk of sausage transforms beans from bland to brilliant.
5. Double Up: Cook extra. Beans freeze beautifully, and future-you will be ecstatic.
6. Avoid Ye Foul Winds: If beans make you gassy, add 1/16 teaspoon of baking soda for every quart of soaking water. The soda raises the pH, which helps break down the pectin in the beans' cell walls, letting them soften quicker. Just make sure to rinse the beans well before cooking.

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WHAT'S INSIDE...

• ​Slow Cooked Lamb & Cannellini Beans​
• ​Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Chickpeas​
• ​Sautéed Bacon, Mushrooms & Lentils​
• ​Kung Pao Chicken With Peanuts​
• ​Red Chicken Posole​
• ​White Beans & Tuscan Kale​
• ​Old-Fashioned Minestrone Soup​
• ​Braised Cranberry Beans With Chorizo​
• ​Potato & Chickpea Stew​
• ​Pan-Fried Green Beans​

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​Slow Cooked Lamb & Cannellini Beans​

This slow cooked lamb and cannellini beans is an oh-so-comforting stew made with tender braised boneless lamb, white beans, vegetables and topped with parsley and lemon gremolata. The perfect thing for winter.

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​Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Chickpeas​

These roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas are cooked on a sheet pan until tender and tossed in coconut milk and lime dressing. An easy dinner

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​Sautéed Bacon, Mushrooms & Lentils​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.59 from 12 votes

Sautéed bacon, mushrooms, and lentils is mostly healthy but also has an extravagant amount of bacon added. Brown lentils and mushrooms are full of nutrition and flavor, so why not indulge?

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​Kung Pao Chicken With Peanuts​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 from 11 votes

This Kung Pao chicken is an easy, authentic Chinese dish made with crisp chicken breast, peanuts, and chile peppers in a sauce made from soy sauce, black vinegar, and sesame oil.

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​Red Chicken Posole​

This red chicken pozole, or red chicken pozole, is an easy Mexican soup that's made with chicken, hominy, and dried chiles. It's a soupy, stewy, satisfying supper.

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​White Beans & Tuscan Kale​

Beans are a pantry staple in most Italian homes, a versatile and filling ingredient Italians rely on the way Americans use potatoes— or even pasta. They’re simple, easy to dress up or down, and a cost-effective way to round out a meal. This takes a while to cook, but it’s almost all hands-off time, and because it makes a large batch, you can serve it for several meals throughout the week.

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​Old-Fashioned Minestrone Soup​

This old-fashioned minestrone soup is chock-full of carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, kale, zucchini, beans, and pasta...but gets an unexpected drizzle of pesto that transforms a frugal veggie-bin soup into something special.

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​Braised Cranberry Beans With Chorizo​

These braised cranberry beans with chorizo are a comforting one-pot meal that can be made in your Instant Pot.

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​Potato & Chickpea Stew​

This potato and chickpea stew, made with potatoes, canned chickpeas, tomatoes, bell peppers, and spinach, is a hearty and healthy and vegetarian weeknight dinner that's both easy to make and pretty darn satisfying, too.

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​Pan-Fried Green Beans​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.73 from 11 votes

These easy pan-fried green beans are blanched, then given a quick turn in a skillet with garlic butter, and finished with a sprinkle of salt. Simple and classic.

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