The Best Pot o' Beans

Beans as a meal is generally something that, I feel, most people find unappealing. Not a very visual dish, mostly a color of beige (not something that most choose to brag about in a dish they make), and they can be pretty boring if they don't have enough salt. That is, until you get a really good, warm bowl that is the epitome of comfort food. Throw in a piece of cornbread or a crusty baguette and you're golden!

I've tried to vow to myself that I'm not going to have those long biographies at the top of all of my recipes, so I'm not going to do that. All I will say is this: make this pot of beans. They are so easy, budget friendly and PACKED with flavor! Bright, spicy, warm and inviting. Yum.

Recipe:

Olive Oil

1 yellow onion, halved

1 lemon, quartered

3-4 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 tsp. red chili flakes

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. dried herbs (I used half rosemary and half thyme, but others like basil or oregano would be good, too!)

1 lb. dried beans (I like navy beans, but use whatever kind you want)

6 cups of water

1 cube of chicken bouillon

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Start with a nice soup pot and put it on medium-high heat. Add in a good "glug" of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

When the oil is hot, put in the onion, lemon, garlic, herbs and chili flakes. Let everything get just a bit charred and toasty before adding in the rest of the ingredients. This helps develop the depth of flavor!

Once everything is starting to caramelize, add in the beans, water and bouillon. Give everything a good stir and season liberally with salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the beans until they're tender- this can be anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the type and age of your beans. If the broth starts to boil off as they cook, just add more water and salt accordingly.

Serve with a crusty piece of bread and enjoy!