In this post, you’ll learn my simple, straightforward method for cooking dried white beans (Great Northern or Cannellini beans) on the stovetop. Soak overnight or use the 1 hour fast-soak option! Baking soda, just a pinch, guarantees a super tender texture every time.
If you’re new to cooking beans from scratch, welcome. It will change your life. For reference, I have nothing against canned beans- we use them all the time. Home-cooked beans however, are less mushy, they hold their shape and lack any lingering metallic taste from the can. Try them in my go-to minestrone and Italian wedding soup, or spooned over toasted sourdough bread dressed with olive oil.
So let’s talk about it. For this recipe, I used dried white Great Northern Beans (similar to cannellini beans), which yes, you must soak overnight (set a reminder on your phone). Please don’t skip this step. Soaking helps to soften the skins which is crucial for best texture.
On that note, sometimes beans are just old which means they’ll need a little assistance beyond soaking to soften their skins. I’ve ended up with crunchy beans so many times, which annoyed me to no end because I just didn’t know why. It’s not like dried beans have an expiration date on the bag! Baking soda, just a pinch, alleviates this problem guaranteeing buttery soft beans every time.
Did You Know: Fast Soak Method
There’s something called a “fast” soak, which as he name suggests, reduces the soaking time from overnight to 1 hour. To do so: gently bring the beans to a boil, cover the pot, and let the beans sit for 1 hour before cooking.
Ingredients You Will Need:
- Dried Great Northern Beans or cannellini beans
- Garlic clove
- Fresh sage leaves
- Fresh bay leaf
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Olive oil
- Baking soda
- Salt, to taste
How To Cook Dried Beans {Recipe At A Glance}
- Soak the beans (overnight or 1 hour fast soak).
- Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Add them to a large pot (I use my trusty, 5 quart braiser pot).
- Add garlic, fresh bay leaf, sage, thyme and olive oil.
- Cover the beans with water, about 3 inches; cover the pot.
- Bring the beans to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low; add the baking soda.
- Continue to simmer, with the lid ajar, for 1-3 hours adding more water as needed to cover the beans as needed The length of cooking time will depend on how old the beans are. Stir occasionally.
- Taste the beans for doneness. They should be soft and tender.
- When finished, season with salt to taste.
*Note: Scroll to the bottom of this post for a detailed, printable version of this recipe.
How To Store Cooked beans
Portion cooked beans with their flavorful cooking liquid into storage containers. The beans will last in the fridge (3 days) or in the freezer (3 months). Defrost at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.
What To Use It For?
Add home-cooked beans to a variety of your favorite soups, like my go-to Italian minestrone, pasta e fagioli and Italian wedding soup. Toss into stews, pasta dishes, puree into dips, or serve warm, spooned or sourdough bread or sourdough focaccia. What’s your favorite way to use cooked beans? Comment below!
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How To Cook Perfectly Tender Dried White Beans From Scratch
- Total Time: 1-3 hours cook time
- Yield: 4–5 cups 1x
- Category: Beans
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This is my method for home-cooked dried white beans on the stovetop. You can use Great Northern white beans or cannellini beans, both are perfect for soup, stews, and side dishes. You’ll need to soak the beans first (overnight or the 1 hour fast soak option). A pinch of baking soda guarantees a super soft texture every time. Recipe adapted from one of my favorite books: Cucina Povera by, Giulia Scarpaleggia.
Ingredients
- 454 g (2 1/2 cups) dried Great Northern Beans or cannellini beans
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 fresh sage leaves
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
To Soak The Beans (choose one method below):
Overnight Method: place the beans to a large bowl, add water to cover (about 4 inches) and soak at room temperature for 12 hours- overnight.
1 Hour Fast Soak Method: Place the beans in a large pot. Cover with water. Gently bring the beans to a boil, cover the pot, and let the beans sit for 1 hour before cooking.
To Cook The Beans:
- Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Add them to a large pot (I use my trusty, 5 quart braiser pot).
- Add the garlic, fresh bay leaf, sage, thyme sprigs and olive oil.
- Cover the beans with water, about 2 inches. Place the lid on top.
- Bring the beans to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the baking soda.
- Continue to simmer the beans, with the lid ajar, for 1-3 hours, adding more water as needed to cover the beans. The length of cooking time will depend on how old the beans are. Stir occasionally, and taste for doneness. The beans should be soft and buttery, with tender skins when finished.
- Season with salt to taste.
- To serve, add to soups, stews, puree into dips or serve warm, spooned or sourdough bread or sourdough focaccia with a drizzle of extra version olive oil.
Storage: Homemade cooked beans, stored in their flavorful cooking liquid, will last in the fridge (3 days) or in the freezer (3 months).
Comments
Sidney Phipps says
Great recipe. We all loved them over fresh baked warm cornbread. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Edye Allen says
Thank you for your inspiration!
Happy Holidays and a wonderful new year to you and yours!🎶
Heidi Brown says
Perfect! I used Great Northern beans, soaked overnight, simmered 2 hours. The last 30 minutes I added chopped tomatoes, leeks and celery. I served them with lamb meatballs (which were NOT needed!)
gilli says
Do you turn off the heat when the beans sit for n hour?
Gina says
Most canned beans have industrial solvents sprayed in the can. It’s a much healthier choice to buy organic dried beans and make your own thusly avoiding all the bigAg garbage they seem to add to all our food these days. Clever Carrot recipe is excellent-and adding aromatics is lovely! Beans are one of the most sprayed crops because they don’t use the pods and greens. They spray the crop to defoliate then harvest.
Emilie Raffa says
They do. We are so far removed the process, it’s alarming actually. Doing it yourself gives you way more control over the final product, plus a sense of unexpected empowerment. The fresh herb combination I’ve chosen here + 1 simple garlic clove really elevates the taste. I couldn’t stop eating spoonfuls while shooting this post! Thanks Gina!
Karen Wyatt says
I’m sorry, but I don’t see the baking soda listed in your ingredients list.
Thank you!
K. W.
Emilie Raffa says
Fixed, thank you! 🥰
Karen Wyatt says
Absolutely ☺️
I just have to say, I love your book! Thank you for sharing your recipes, knowledge and expertise.
K. W.
Emilie Raffa says
You are very welcome Karen. This makes me so happy to hear!