The blog Alexandra Cooks is an endless source of recipes and kitchen wisdom. Photo and recipe credit to Alexandra Stafford
She says: "These giant beans cook in the slow cooker for 6-12 hours with tomatoes, thyme, onions, garlic, and olive oil until they become stewy, creamy, and delicious! If you can’t find gigante beans, the method works well with Great Northern, Cannellini, Lima, or other dried white beans."
- 8 oz dried white beans, such as Rancho Gord Roya Corona or California Corona, Gigante, Great Northern, or Cannellini (see notes above)
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch red pepper flakes (I use 1/2 teaspoon)
- a few cloves of garlic, smashed
- 2 onions, chopped to yield about 2 cups
- 1.5 cups crushed tomatoes (I love Pomi finely diced tomatoes)
- a few sprigs of thyme
- Parmesan rind, if you have one
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- fresh cracked pepper to taste
- shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
- toasted bread for serving or oven-roasted polenta
- Place everything with the exception of the Parmigiano Reggiano and toasted bread or polenta, into your crockpot. Cook on high for at least 6 to 8 hours. Depending on the type of bean you are using, the times will vary. If using unsoaked gigante beans, it may take as long as 12 hours to cook.
- When the beans are done, taste the broth. Add more salt to taste.
- Ladle broth into bowls over toasted bread or serve toasted bread on the size. Shave Parmigiano Reggiano over top. Crack pepper over top. Drizzle more olive oil over top if you wish.
Notes from Alexandra:
Adapted from this Dinner, A Love Story post.
You can soak the beans prior to cooking if you wish, and I recommend doing so if you are using larger beans such as Gigante or Corona beans, but you do not have to. If you do soak, the cooking time may be shorter. Gigante and Corona beans take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, so plan ahead.
I love these spooned over this oven-roasted polenta.