Make cassoulet

Here is a link that might be useful: Link

I use canned cannellini (can't find dried ones around here) for a whole range of dishes involving greens. Basic idea, sauté up onions, garlic, carrots if you want, add greens--collards, escarole, chard--add a little water or chicken stock, simmer, add cannellinis and enjoy with parmesan.

You can also do the same basic idea with a lot of stock and make it a soup.

You can also add Italian sausage to any of the above. Or pancetta.

So you could freeze your beans in containers to make several of these dishes down the road.

My fav way to use cannellini beans is either greens & beans (using escarole or kale as the greens, sauteed in olive oil and garlic), or a salad I make that's similar to one I had in Salzburg, Austria! I wing the salad (from memory) as a mix of cannellini beans, chick peas, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and black olives, with a little vinaigrette and/or marinade from the artichokes. yum! (also fine w/ artichokes hearts that are not marinated :)

This post was edited by party_music50 on Fri, Oct 10, 14 at 7:13

If you can't think of anything for all of them, you can easily freeze some. I always make home made beans in my crockpot, use half for soup and then freeze half for later. I freeze them in pint jars, holds as much as a can of beans and easily thawed in the microwave. Fresher than canned and also no tinny taste. Also less expensive. I throw cannellini beans in with pasta or rice dishes for extra fiber and protein. They are almost my favorite bean. You can also make great Italian style baked beans with them. This is my recipe for that, Italian Style Baked Beans, Giada DeLaurentis recipe.

I like them with chicken and spinach and an assortment of other things. Italian mostly

I have a couple of recipes that I like and here's a link to a bunch of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link

Chicken and Collard Green Stew with Smoky Tomatoes and White Beans
Rocco DiSpirito

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 chicken thighs
4 slices of bacon cut into ý inch strips
ý large spanish onion, diced small
4 gloves garlic, chopped
1 - 35 oz can plum tomatoes, roughly chopped, liquid reserved
2 tsp smoked paprika
red pepper flakes to taste
1 ý cups water
10 oz cleaned and cut collard greens
1 - 20 oz can canellini beans, drained

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper. Add to pan, skin side down and cook until skin is golden. About 5 minutes. Flip chicken over

Add bacon, onion and garlic to pot and continue to cook until fragrant. About 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, their liquid, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, water collard greens and beans to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender. About 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

My first thought would be to make tuna or salmon and bean salad. No recipe but flaked fish, drained beans, chopped red onion and tomatoes, sliced olives, chopped parsley and/or basil, capers, and a vinaigrette dressing.

FRENCH BEAN SOUP - makes 4 quarts

1 lb. dried white kidney beans
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 lb. zucchini
3 medium white turnips (1 lb.)
1 large potato 6 medium carrots (1 lb.)
2 celery stalks with leaves
2 red onions
6 cups water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1 peeled onion stuck with 4 cloves
1 whole bay leaf
1 can (1 lb.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tsp. dried basil leaves or 2 Tbs. minced fresh basil
1/8 tsp. dried hot pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

Soak beans overnight in cold water to cover. Next day, drain beans in colander and rinse under cold water. Prepare vegetables dice zucchini, pare and dice turnips and potato into cubes, pare and thinly slice carrots, slice celery, coarsely chop the 2 red onions.

Heat oil in 6 qt. soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add garlic, zucchini, turnips, carrots, celery and chopped onions and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, water or chicken broth and remaining ingredients except parsley.

Bring to boiling over medium heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender. To serve, remove whole onion and bay leaf and adjust seasoning. Stir in parsley. Flavor is even better the next day.

Notes: equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes can be used instead of canned. You can use canned and drained canneli or great northern beans instead of the dried. If so, follow direction but dont add the beans and only simmer the soup for an hour. Then add the beans and cook another 15 minutes. Soup will stay nice for 4 or 5 days in fridge but is bad for freezing.

Hummus.

Sol

Not exactly hummus - I make this dip with pesto..yum!

White bean and Pesto Dip:
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup pesto
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice- or to taste (I use more like 2 or 3 tablespoons)

Process beans in processor until smooth. Stir in pesto. Add lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.) Stir dip before serving

Greens & Beans, as laceyvail and party music suggested. Really good!

My favorite combination involves endive, garlic and olive oil. They all are good hoever.

Jim

This recipe is in one of my WS cookbooks. I tried it and it was so easy and good I've adapted it to be a staple here. I've made it with fresh tuna, salmon, shrimp, chicken and pork tenderloin. All are great and fast meals. My fav is with salmon.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Williams-Sonoma

I add beans to my pasta sauces and such...like a chicken cacciatore...or to chicken soups.

So glad I asked! (Now I need more beans, lol.) I love beans and, like lpinkmountain, cannellinis are about my favorite. I always stock up on canned beans when I find them on sale, but I got the dried organic ones at a farmers' market where I find not just beans, but a lot of grains not to be found anywhere else.

I'm starting with that salad. It may be a mixup of the two mentioned, but I don't think I can go wrong. Then it's on to the chicken and collard green stew, just because I've never had anything like it. The French bean soup is next, but I don't have all the ingredients for that one. Speaking of soup, I think I'll post a question on Annie's soup thread for French potato and cabbage soup. Digressing here, but it's one of the best soups I ever made and I've lost the recipe.

Thanks so much for the recipes and keep 'em coming!

I used only canned beans for 25 years, but then I got in the habit of making a big pot of beans on the weekends using my crockpot, and I have been hooked on that ever since. I get a week's worth of soup (it's just me) and three or four pints of beans to freeze. I have room in my upright freezer. I freeze them in the pint jars and then when I want to use them, just pop the top and thaw them in the microwave, just takes a few minutes. Very economical and great fresh taste. Plus I can season to my taste, for chili or pasta or hummus, etc. I scoop the beans out for freezing using a big slotted spoon. Put a label on the pint with masking tape with the date and variety, and then put the lid on. When they have cooled to room temp. pop in freezer. I then add whatever flavorings and veggies, meats. etc. to the rest of the bean pot and simmer a little longer for soup.

Jacques Pepin has a great recipe for bean soup. Wiz up your beans (it also works fine with canned beans) in a food processor adding chicken stock until you get a smooth, somewhat thick "soup" consistency. Put that on the stove and add some cooked sausage. Any kind of sausage you like, just cut it into slices or chunks. I usually use some kind of spicy sausage and put in a few squirts of sriracha sauce too. Once it comes to a simmer, put in some heavy cream (maybe a 1/4 cup depending on the amount of beans) to finish it. I usually use 4 "regular" sized cans of beans and a pound of sausage.

While that's going make yourself some nice croutons. Cut up a good baguette into about 1/2" slices. Put a little olive oil in the bottom of a sheet pan and rub the bread in the oil. Season the slices with whatever you'd like. I usually use black pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, and paprika but they're your croutons. Toast them up in a 350ð oven, flipping them once.

Yum.

Romaine/Cannellini bean soup:

Saute sliced garlic cloves (lots) in butter. Add chicken broth, romaine or other greens and simmer until just tender. Add Cannellini beans and a blob of Parmesan cheese and simmer until melted through.

Salt and pepper to taste and this is the best soup ever. Don't overcook - you want the greens to be bright green.