Broccolini Beans

I view this Broccolini Beans recipe as a take on aglio e olio (spaghetti with garlic and olive oil), but just add broccolini and of course – add beans! It’s a simple recipe, and you can absolutely make it with tinned beans or beans you make from dry. I add tinned fish for extra flavor and extra depth to the recipe, I find it works wonders.

What inspired these beans was a podcast, funnily enough! In the podcast the hosts were making a broccolini pasta for their guest. The pasta had garlic and toasted anchovy, and all I could think about was how amazing it would be as a protein-filled bean dish. You can even skip the toast FOR pasta, and it would be an equally excellent beans + pasta situation.

I chose broccolini because similar to kale, it keeps its color for longer than other greens. You can of course substitute it for regular broccoli. The color might be less green but the flavor will still be delicious.

Ingredients you will need for these broccolini beans

I give options for how to make this recipe with dried beans vs. canned beans. If you are using canned beans, skip the brothy bean portion and go straight into the broccolini part of the recipe!

Here are the ingredients you will need:

For the brothy beans

• 1/2 pound of dried white beans (if using canned beans, skip this whole portion)
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, 5 ounces / 140 grams
• 1 small lemon, 2 ounces / 56 grams
• 5 garlic cloves
• 6 cups of water

For the broccolini

• 3/4 pound of broccolini
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 4 flat-packed anchovy fillets
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4 Calabrian chilies
• 1 4.2-ounce tin of mackerel, anchovies, or sardines. Tins with lemon flavor, caper flavor, olive flavor or chili flavor will work best.
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup chopped parsley, 1.5 ounces / 44 grams

Tips on how to use the oil the tinned fish is stored in

I am a huge advocate of minimizing waste. You’ll notice that I call for a tin of fish in this recipe, which is not cheap! But you’ll also notice that tinned fish is packed in oil. I like to use that oil along with olive oil as the start of my recipe – AKA the base I’ll cook all my spices and vegetables in.

I highly recommend this method – just measure out how much oil is in the tin, then add enough extra-virgin olive oil so that you get to 1/2 cup.

The one very important thing to note: As oil heats up, it will pop and fizz out any water/moisture that is combined with it. If your tinned fish has a lot of lemon juice or excess water along with the oil, just look out and be safe, because you may have some popping on your hands. To stay on the safer side, make sure you have a lid nearby in case you need to cover the pan for a few minutes as the moisture evaporates away and the oil remains.

What is the best way to store broccolini beans?

These rich, savory beans luckily store very well. Be warned they will lose a bit of color, but you can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze them in individual servings. They will last in the freezer for six months.

To thaw, move them to the fridge and let them fully thaw over 48 hours. Then reheat either in the microwave or on the stove top. To keep them feeling fresh, garnish with lemon zest and parsley. Then you are good to enjoy!

Looking for similar recipes?

We love beans in this house. Here are a few favorites:

Saffron Oil Tomatoes & Beans

This quickly-made dinner is a perfect weeknight for two, and if you haven't considered Saffron dressing before, well, I hope this recipe will change your mind. Along with the stewed-down, garlicky tomatoes, the saffron oil is a flavor explosion. I pair it with a fresh side of turmeric-marinated onions, making this a vegetable-packed dinner that is supremely satisfying.

Check out this recipe

Brothy Beans

Ah brothy beans, one of my easiest, most nutritious, and definitely most delicious and versatile recipes. I just love it so much. And if you aren't making your own dried beans yet, let me tell you, it is SO worth it. Bean broth is so flavorful and delicious (with the heaps of oregano I call this recipe "pizza beans"), and you can use these beans in many ways throughout the week. It makes a ton of food, but is so affordable, so you'll see me making a pot of brothy beans at least once every few weeks.

Check out this recipe

Sweet Potato Beans

These spicy-sweet sweet potato beans are my dream beans. They use unexpected ingredients like kalamata olives (delicious), calabrian chili and of course, sweet potato to turn the unexpectedly humble canned bean into something delicious.

Check out this recipe

And that’s it for these Broccolini Beans!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Broccolini Beans

5 from 5 votes

These beans are similar to aglio e olio (spaghetti with garlic and olive oil), but of course swap the pasta for beans, and add a ton of greens! The flavors build delicately in this recipe, and the whole thing comes together in no time. I love how lemony, garlicky and savory the full meal gets – it makes a pretty stellar bean dish.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:12 hours hrs

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Fusion, Italian

Keyword: beans, broccolini, brothy beans

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

• 1 large stock pot (5-quart to 7-quart)
• 1 large skillet or sauté pan

Ingredients

For the brothy beans

• 1/2 pound of dried white beans see Note* for how to use canned beans
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion 5 ounces / 140 grams
• 1 small lemon 2 ounces / 56 grams
• 5 garlic cloves
• 6 cups of water

For the broccolini

• 3/4 pound of broccolini
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4 Calabrian chilies
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil see Note**
• 4 flat-packed anchovy fillets
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 4.2-ounce tin of mackerel anchovies or sardines. Tins with lemon flavor, caper flavor, olive flavor or chili flavor will work best.
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup chopped parsley 1.5 ounces / 44 grams

Instructions

• Add the 1/2 pound of dried beans to a very large bowl. Cover them with water until they are submerged by at least 2 inches. Season the water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Let them soak for 6 hours up to 24 hours. The longer the soak, the quicker the beans will take to cook.
• When you are ready to cook your beans, place a large stock pot over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot, about 1/4 cup.
• Let the oil heat up for a few minutes. Peel and halve the onion, leaving the root intact. Clean and halve the lemon lengthwise, peel the garlic cloves. Add the onion, lemon and garlic cloves to the oil, cut sides down. Sear for 6-8 minutes or until charred, then flip.
• Drain the beans. Add the beans to the pot and season with 1 tablespoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Pour in six cups of water. Bring this to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
• When it has been 45 minutes, start testing the beans for doneness. I like to try 2-3 beans, because sometimes beans can cook unevenly in the pot.
• When the beans are done, strain out most of the bean broth, leaving about 1/2 cup of broth in the pot with the beans. You can discard the lemon but keep the onion and garlic in with the beans. Reserve the broth for other recipes (use it like vegetable stock – only it's much more delicious!). Set the pot of beans aside while you do the broccolini portion.
• If using canned beans skip to this step.
• Finely chop the broccolini and set aside. Thinly slice the 6 garlic cloves and 4 Calabrian chilies and set these aside as well.
• Add 1/2 cup of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 4 anchovy fillets, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon oregano. Cook for 30-60 seconds, or until the fillets have melted into the oil.
• Add the chilies and garlic and let the oil simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the edges of the garlic are beginning to turn golden.
• Add the finely chopped broccolini and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for 6-8 minutes, seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly cracked pepper, plus more to taste.
• Pour in everything in the bean pot into the broccolini mix (this includes the onion, garlic cloves and 1/2 cup of bean broth), or if you are using canned beans, add those here. Stir to coat in the broccolini.
• Break in a nice jar of tinned anchovies, mackerel or sardines. Stir to combine, breaking up the chunks into smaller pieces.
• Squeeze in the juice from half of the lemon. Let simmer uncovered for 5-6 minutes. The beans should be thick with a bit of liquid and oil pooling at the sides.
• Season with salt and pepper and more lemon juice to taste, then stir in the parsley.
• Serve with crusty bread.

Notes

Note*: If opting to use canned beans in this recipe, use 2 15-ounce cans of white beans. Drain and rinse them well. Then proceed to the step that begins the broccolini portion of the recipe. 

 

Note**: Occasionally I use the oil the tinned mackerel/sardines/anchovies are packed in as part of the extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe. Feel free to do the same. I pour the oil the fish is packed in into a 1/2 measuring cup, then fill up the rest of the cup with extra-virgin olive oil as needed. See the blog post for tips if you are doing this method!