Inspired by a recipe from Liguria in Cucina: The
Flavours of Liguria by Enrica Monzani (SIMEBOOKS, 2023).

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for
finishing
1 carrot, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cups cooked, drained Rancho Gordo Black Garbanzos or Classic Garbanzos
1 bunch of chard, stemmed, rinsed, and chopped
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 slices rustic bread, toasted
Makes 4 servings

Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for
at least 15 minutes. Once they are rehydrated,
drain and squeeze with your hands, then finely
chop them. Reserve at least 1/2 cup of the mushroom-soaking liquid.
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil
over low heat. Add the carrot, onion, and celery
and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the garbanzos, reserved mushrooms, and chard, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the vegetable broth and mushroom-soaking liquid, raise the heat, and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to low and cook, partially covered, for about 45 minutes, adding more liquid if needed.
Add salt to taste.
Place a slice of bread in the bottom of each
soup bowl and top with soup. Finish with freshly
ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

This is a favorite dish, inspired by a JacquesPepin recipe I came across. I think it’s great as amain course, maybe with a salad and good bread.
Others might like it as a side dish with a roast.

1 tablespoon butter for greasing the dish, softened
2 cups cooked Rancho Gordo Cassoulet beans, drained (or other heirloom beans—I've also tried
Moro, Royal Corona, and Cranberry beans)
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon grated Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Makes 2 to 4 servings

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a small gratin or baking dish.
Place the beans, eggs, garlic, cream, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Blend well with an immersion blender. You can also use a standing blender or even a food processor.
Pour the mixture into the buttered mold
and top with the grated cheeses. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned and the center is set. If the center is still liquid, keep baking for 10 more minutes.

Excerpted from Silk Roads: A Flavor Odyssey with Recipes from Baku to Beijing © 2025 by Anna Ansari. Used with permission of the publisher,
DK Red. All rights reserved.
From the author: "These beans are excellent when eaten the traditional way as a loose, soupy stew, but I also like them a bit heavier, almost refried bean–like in texture, and eaten as a dip or slathered across a piece of toast, topped with a slice of tomato, flaky sea salt, and some more fresh herbs."
9 oz (250 g) dried kidney beans or Rancho Gordo Domingo Rojo beans, soaked overnight, then drained and rinsed
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, 1 minced, 2 whole
1 bay leaf
1 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
4 tbsp fresh parsley, dill, or cilantro, or a combination of all three, chopped
Serves 4 to 6

Add your drained and rinsed beans to a large pot for which you have a lid. Pour in enough water to cover the beans by 2in (5cm), then place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes at a boil before reducing the heat to low.
Add one onion quarter, two whole garlic cloves, and the bay leaf, then partially cover the pot with its lid and leave to cook for 1–3 hours, or until your beans are tender, checking on them occasionally and adding 1 teaspoon of the salt when they reach a just tender/al dente firmness. Note that the cooking time depends on the type and age of the beans.
While your beans are cooking, finely dice the remaining onion quarters. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium–high heat. Add the diced onion, along with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes, or until it is soft and golden. Add the minced garlic, ground coriander, thyme, chili flakes, and black pepper.
Stir and cook for 60 seconds, or until fragrant. If necessary, take the pan off the heat and set aside while you wait for your beans to finish cooking.

Chipilín is a leafy green plant native to Southern Mexico and Central America, with a watercress-like flavor. We were able to find some in a local Mexican market, but if you can't source it,
you can substitute arugula or spinach.
For the sofrito (flavor base):
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, chopped
1 garlic clove minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 large tomato, chopped
1 serrano chile, minced (optional)
3 cups cooked black beans such as Rancho Gordo Negro de Suelo beans, in their broth
½ teaspoon dried thyme
6 oz chipilín, thawed if frozen, stems removed (or substitute arugula or spinach)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cooked white rice for serving
Serves 4
To make the sofrito: In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and serrano pepper (if using) and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato. Sauté for 3 minutes. Smash the mixture with a bean masher or potato masher
until it reaches a smooth consistency.
Add the chipilín and simmer, stirring, for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
In a separate pot, warm the beans over medium heat. Stir in the tomato-chipilín mixture and let it all simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes so the flavors come together. Adjust the salt and pepper
to taste. Serve over white rice.

In Spain, black-eyed peas are called carillas, or “little faces.” This dish gets a smoky kick from Pimentón de la Vera, a specialty of Extremadura.
You can add Spanish chorizo for extra flavor.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 leek, chopped
3 cups cooked, drained Rancho Gordo Black Eyed Peas
1 cup tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons Pimentón de la Vera, such as Rancho Gordo Castillo Pimentón
Makes 4 servings
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, bell peppers, and onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and leek and continue to cook for another 5 or so minutes
Add the Black Eyed Peas, heat for 3 minutes, and stir everything well, making sure nothing burns. Next, add the wine, broth, tomato sauce, bay leaf, salt, and spices.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with
salt and pepper

Jaíne Mackievicz is a Brazilian food writer, recipe developer, and Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef based in California. She originally called forMarcella beans in this recipe, but we think Yellow
beans would be a great fit as well.
1 pound uncooked Rancho Gordo Yellow Eyebeans, or white beans such as Marcella or Cassoulet, over and rinsed
2 large bay leaves
6 yellow onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon base in beef, or caramelized onion flavor, if vegetarian
3/4 cup dry vermouth
6 to 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 quarts (1.9 liters or 8 cups) water
3/4 cup fortified wine such as Port, Marsala, Sherry, or 3 tablespoons balsamic or sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, about 20 to 25 turns of your pepper mill (adjust to taste)
For the topping:
12 to 16 slices of baguette, or 6 slices of sourdough bread
1 garlic clove to rub the bread (optional)
3 to 4 cups Queso Asadero or Chihuahua cheese,
grated (Gruyère, Comté, or Emmental cheeses are classics and can be used as well)
Extra thyme, green onions or chives, to mix in with the cheese (optional)
Serves 4 to 6

In a large pot, combine the beans, bay leaves, and enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer while you work
on the soup base.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, such as a 5-quart Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring
occasionally, until the onions are soft, golden, and deeply caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes. If they start sticking, add a tablespoon of water to loosen
things up. You can also turn down the heat if needed and cover the pot for a couple of minutes, then uncover and continue stirring.
Stir in the Better Than Bouillon paste and cookfor a minute. Add the vermouth to deglaze the
pot, scraping up all the delicious bits stuck to the bottom. Add 8 cups of water and thyme, then
bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 45 minutes to one hour, occasionally skimming any foam from the top.
Keep an eye on the beans as they cook. When they turn soft and creamy, drain them, reserving their cooking liquid.
Gently add the beans into the soup, and with the back of a spoon, mash a handful against the pot’s side. Let the beans simmer for a bit to soak
up all those flavors.
About 15 minutes before the soup is ready, preheat your broiler. Lightly toast the bread under the broiler. If using the garlic, rub the slices with a cut before toasting. Keep an eye on them—broilers work fast, and so should you! Set aside the croutons and leave the broiler on.
Turn off the heat and fish out the thyme sprigs.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Stir in the fortified wine or vinegar and taste again. If the soup feels too thick, add a bit of the reserved bean cooking water to loosen it up.
Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls. Float three baguette croutons or a slice of sourdough on top, and generously sprinkle each bowl with about ½ cup of grated cheese (and herbs, if
using). Ideally, the extra cheese will hang over the edges, crisping up as it sticks to the outer side of the bowls. I consider that the best part of French
onion soup, and I believe you might agree.
Slide the bowls under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the color indicates that it's crisp. Be careful when rescuing those bubbling bowl from the oven, as well as while eating them. The soup will be piping hot, and the bubbling cover of cheese–irresistible, I know—adds an extra layer of caution.