simple, very lemony beans

and all the ways to eat them!

as i mentioned when i started this substack, there will be much talk of beans!

beans are a huge part of my life from a nourishment standpoint—a huge part of my enjoyment around eating and absolutely something i love to cook on a weekly basis, without fail.

they form so many meals for me. from super simple simple brothy beans. which in part seems simple, but can actually be quite nuanced regarding the perfect cook and indeed, the perfect balance of flavors when seasoning the broth. right down to everything that you can do with them, after the brothy beans stage.

i love to have them, sans broth—as a side to a roasted chicken. simply divine!

they are also gorgeous with a pan-fried piece of fish. or even just on their own, scooped onto some buttery sourdough with a little drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky salt.

the ways in which to eat a bean, are limitless!

i have many variations/recipes on beans and how to cook them depending on their purpose, and your need. and then equally as many recipes on how to consume them. which over time, you will see here—i am certain of that.

this is a stovetop update to my ‘simple roman fagioli’, but with a lot more lemon, and way fewer ingredients. just the salt, garlic, and lemon create the most wonderful flavor here. i hope that you enjoy!

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simple, very lemony beans

despite these being called very lemony beans, most of the lemon comes after the cooking process. i prefer to add my lemon this way. the only lemon flavor added during the cooking process is from the charring of the lemons.

if you add the lemon whilst cooking the beans, you can end up with quite a lot of bitterness—which personally, i do not like. many other recipes call to add whole lemons, but this one does not!

serves 6-8 people, depending on how they are to be eaten

1 lb dried lima beans/gigante beans (or any white bean), ideally soaked overnight

2 tbsp of olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, left whole

1 whole lemon, cut in half and charred

8 cups of water, or more if needed

1 tbsp kosher salt

olive oil, for serving

flaky salt, for serving

the juice of one whole lemon, for serving

*please note—if the beans are not pre-soaked, that is totally fine. you will just need to cook them for a little longer.

a dutch oven is best for this recipe, or any heavy-bottomed pan with a lid.

start by charring the two halves of lemon.

over high heat—with a little drizzle of olive oil, set both lemon halves into the pan, and cut side down. let them char for around 4 minutes, untouched. leaving them to sizzle is what will form the char.

after 4 minutes have passed. with some kitchen tongs, check the lemons for the perfect char (whatever you idea of perfect is—is the perfect char). remove from the pan and set aside. the charred lemon flavor will now impart of the rest of the dish.

add the rest of the ingredients (the soaked beans, 2 tbsp of olive oil, garlic, kosher salt) to the heavy-bottomed pan and cover with the water.

over medium to high heat, bring up to a simmer on the stovetop. once at a simmer, turn the heat to low and let the beans slowly cook.

the beans can take between 2-3 hours depending on your stovetop and the size of the bean (smaller beans like cannellini or navy beans will take much less time) but do check on them every hour, and add a little more water if needed. the beans should always be just submerged.

once the beans are cooked, add in the juice of one whole lemon and stir to combine. check for seasoning and adjust to taste. remove the whole garlic cloves if you are able to. if they have broken down, do not worry—let them be apart of the broth.

i like to serve these with one-half of the charred lemon nestled into the beans so that the eater can add more charred lemon flavor if they want to.

enjoy these beans on their own or as a side dish to meats and fish. they are lovely with some crusty bread dipped in to soak up all of those delicious, lemony bean juices. or maybe on toast with some thick french butter and loads of black pepper! the broth from the beans will merge with the french buttery toast to create a wonderfully buttery, lemony, soggy mess! my idea of heaven!

talk soon

xo