Brothy Beans Recipe (with canned beans)
This pot of brothy beans is a MUST try! Add in that grilled bread and… oh my! It is so good, you need to make it ASAP. The perfect little bowl of comfort food that will really hit the spot on those cold winter nights or make it ahead of time and enjoy for lunches all week at work. And you if you are a pancetta-lover, like us, you should also try our Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta!
Looking for More Bean Recipes?
If you love them as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Slow Cooker Baked Beans!
Key Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- pancetta – we absolutely love pancetta, but you could also use bacon or leave it out all-together if you want it to be vegetarian.
- lemon – the acidity really amps up all the great flavor.
- leeks, fresh swiss chard, & arugula – a really delicious blend of greens that bring so much great flavor!
- cannellini beans – we used canned beans to make it quicker and easier but you could also make your own!
- parmesan cheese – you will need a rind for tossing in the pot and some that is shredded for sprinkling on top.
- white wine – the recipe only calls for a tablespoon but feel free to add a little more!
- grilled bread – this is a MUST!! It is SO GOOD!
How To Make Brothy Beans
Step 1: Grab a dutch oven, drizzle in some olive oil, toss in the pancetta until the fat begins to render and then add the garlic, onion, leeks, and lemon zest. Next, you can add the swiss chard, arugula, and fresh thyme and cook until they begin to wilt.
Step 2: Now comes the beans and kosher salt. Plus the parmesan rind, lemon juice, broth, and white wine.
Step 3: Cover and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Best Ways To Serve Brothy Beans
Highly recommend enjoying a bowl of these brothy beans with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top and a slice of grilled bread for dunking! They all combine for the perfect comfort food.
Canned Beans vs. Homemade Beans
This is entirely up to you! We used canned cannellini beans in this recipe to make the process quicker and easier, but you can absolutely make your beans at home if you want. If that is your jam – here is a great article on how to do that!
Other Bean Recipes You Might Like
Made this recipe and loved it?!
We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
Follow Us on Social
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 1 heaping tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup leeks, chopped
- zest of 1 lemon, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2-4 handfuls fresh swiss chard, chopped (leaves and stems)
- 2 15oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed*
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- serving suggestion: freshly grated parmesan cheese and/or grilled bread
Instructions
- Sauté: Bring a large pot to medium-high heat and add olive oil; swirl to coat the pan. Add pancetta and let cook until fat begins to reduce, approximately 1-2 minutes. Add garlic, onion and leeks and let reduce about 1 minute. Add lemon zest, fresh thyme and swiss chard. Move greens around the pan until they begin to wilt; about 1 minute.
- Simmer: Add beans, broth, parmesan rind, lemon juice, white wine and salt. Cover and let simmer 20 minutes or until the parmesan rind has melted quite a bit. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice, as desired.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese and grilled bread for dipping.
Notes
- Pancetta: for a vegetarian meal you can omit the pancetta, but the flavor won’t be as well-rounded because you will be missing that fat element. You can also use bacon, but it has a stronger flavor you only need a little and be sure to drain excess fat that reduces.
- Cannellini Beans: option to cook your own beans before hand, please feel free! We wanted this to be a weeknight-friendly recipe. Here is a great article on how to cook dry beans!
- Swiss Chard: really up to you how much you want in here – add a couple handfuls and feel free to add more if you want!
- Storage: Any leftovers can easily be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The Grilled Bread can just be tossed in a bag that can be stored at room temp, it really is best right off the grill but you can keep it.
Whitney Sowles says
This was so good and easy! Such a healthy hearty dinner. Even my boys raved about it. Definitely adding this to the ski house dinner list.
Erin says
Aw yay! Thank you, Whitney! So happy you enjoyed it and thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
Katy says
I have never made anything like this before-Great broth flavor-loved it!
Erin says
so happy to hear that, Katy!!
Meagan says
I made this a few weeks ago and could not get enough! The grilled bread is such a great accompaniment to the rest of the recipe!
Erin says
YAY!! So happy to hear that, Meagan! I love this recipe so much – so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!