Description
Brothy beans simmered with corn cobs, onion, garlic, and ancho chilies to get a delicious corn infused, rich, savory broth.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry white beans (cannellini beans, navy beans, or butter beans)
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 small heads of garlic
- 1 ancho chili
- 2 ears of corn, shucked
- 12 stems of fresh thyme
- 1 large bay leaf
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Black pepper
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Spread the dry beans out on a flat surface and remove any rocks or debris. Rinse the beans well, then drain. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with fresh filtered water, ensuring the water is about 3 inches above the beans. Cover and soak for at least 2 hours (or overnight if preferred).
- Prepare the vegetables:
- For the onion, leave the root and skin intact and cut in half lengthwise. Keep one half of the onion as is for the beans, and dice the other half and transfer to a bowl for later.
- For the garlic, cut in half crosswise to expose the cloves.
- Using kitchen sheers, trim off and discard the stem of the ancho chili.
- For the corn, trim the kernels away from the cob. Transfer the kernels to a bowl, and set the cobs off to the side.
- Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Place garlic bulbs and 1 onion half cut side down in the pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes or until the bottoms begin to caramelize. Add the chili pepper and sear for a few seconds on each side.
- Drain the beans and add them to the pot with the corn cobs, 9 cups of water, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, 2 tsp of salt, and 1 tbsp more olive oil on top. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid and cook for 1 to 2 hours. During this time, check the beans about every 30 minutes, stirring briefly and adding more water if the beans are no longer fully submerged. To ensure the beans are fully cooked, test out at least 3 beans from different parts of the pot and press them to see if they are fully cooked through. If not, cook further and check again every 30 minutes.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion with a generous pinch of salt and sauté for about 5 minutes or until golden in color. Add the corn and toss together to combine. Spread the mixture out evenly to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes or until the corn start to lightly brown around the edges. Stir the corn occasionally for an additional 3 minutes. Stir in the red pepper and a pinch of black pepper, then remove from heat. Allow the corn to cool then stir in the cilantro and set aside.
- Discard the ancho chili, garlic, onions (it’s okay if some of the inner pieces of onion slip out into the beans), thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Taste the broth and stir in additional salt to taste. To serve, spoon the beans and broth in a serving bowl topped with a portion of the cooked corn on top. Finish with a few cracks of black pepper, extra cilantro, a squeeze of lemon, and enjoy with toasted bread.
Notes
Cooking time will vary depending on the age of the bean. Beans can survive a long time in your pantry, but the longer they sit there (like say the ones sitting in the back of your pantry for over 2 years), the longer they will take to cook. So just be mindful when choosing your beans.
Make this with canned beans. When you get to step 4, just replace the soaked beans for 2 cans of drained and rinsed beans, use 1 tsp of salt, and add only 4 cups of water along with the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook covered for 40 minutes.
Adding salt early will not toughen your beans. This is confirmed by American Test Kitchen and many years of cooking beans myself. The beans will gain more flavor as they will absorb some of that salt during the cooking process instead of just sitting in the liquid itself. If you are still spooked or convinced otherwise, feel free to salt them at the end.
