These days we’re really leaning into cozy comfort foods - and these brothy oven baked beans certainly fit the bill. They’re as versatile as can be: eat the beans and the garlicky broth as is (or with a side of grilled bread, for dipping), use it as a base for soups/stews, or add a scoop of beans to bowls, salads, toast, anything you want really. And while cooking beans from scratch does take some time, this method lets you pop them in the oven for a completely hands-off cooking approach. It truly is the best of both worlds.
Given everyone seems to have been hunkered down at home for months now, we weren’t really sure how excited anyone would be about something as humble as a dried bean. But it turns out, the excitement is real. After a simple photo of beans from our weekend meal prep, we’re stunned by how many of you were literally begging for the recipe! So without further adieu, here’s how to make our brothy oven baked beans.
The recipe starts with an overnight soak for dried navy beans. If you prefer to go with another white bean, like cannellini, go ahead! After soaking, you’ll simply rinse and strain the beans and toss them into a pot with your favorite veggie stock and a handful of delicious herbs and aromatics. Shut the lid and pop everything in the oven. You can cook beans on the stove, but we love the oven baked method because you don’t need to keep an eye on a bubbling pot for hours. Our method means you literally “set it and forget it”...until your timer goes off to tell you that your delicious beans are ready!
This is a recipe that really benefits from starting with good ingredients, so pick your favorite veggie stock (ours right now is Better than Bouillon, but use what you love). If you don’t have shallots, feel free to skip them. Don’t skip the garlic, because nobody regrets roasted garlic. Two heads of garlic might seem like a lot, but it’s what we feel is the perfect amount for this recipe - and we are cooking up a lot of beans, after all. We won’t get upset if it’s desperate times and you can only scrounge up one head of garlic...but if you’re completely out, we’d suggest waiting until you’re fully stocked before making this for the first time (that way, you’ll know what you’re missing!). Thyme, if you haven’t noticed, is one of our favorite herbs, and definitely worth buying for this recipe, if you don’t already have it on hand.
Another thing we love about this dish is that both the beans AND the garlicky broth make for many delicious, versatile meals. You can eat them on their own, as we often do. You can toast / grill up bread to serve on the side for dipping. If you’re feeling up to it, you can toss in whatever greens you have on hand (kale, spinach, bitter greens, are all great contenders). We sometimes like to serve ours with crumbled feta and a jammy egg on the side for variety. Sometimes we use the beans and broth as the base of a soup (adding in small cooked pasta noodles and other veggies); or they can be served on top of rice. Extras can be frozen if you feel like you have too many to get through in the week, but we have yet to have that happen!
Brothy Oven Baked White Beans
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried navy beans (see note 1)
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced (optional)
- 7 cups vegetable broth
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- The night before - soak: Add beans to a large bowl and fill with water. (Beans can triple in size so make sure there's plenty of water). Cover and let soak at room temperature overnight.
- The next day - drain and preheat: Drain and rinse soaked beans. Transfer beans to a large Dutch oven. Position a rack so that the Dutch oven (with the lid on) will be roughly centered in the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Combine and bake: Trim the tops (about ½-inch / 1 cm) off each head of garlic to reveal the cloves. Add the heads of garlic, onion, shallots, broth, olive oil, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the pot. Stir to mix. Cover with a lid. Bake until beans are tender, 1 hr 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Finish seasoning: Use a slotted spoon (or tongs) to press the heads of garlic against the side of the pot to release the soft garlic cloves. Remove and discard the garlic skins, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Stir well to mix the garlic into the broth. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. Ladle beans and broth into bowls. (See note 2 for serving suggestions).
Notes
- Navy bean substitute: You could substitute navy beans with other white beans, such as cannellini. Beans have different cooking times required, so you will need to adjust accordingly.
- Serving suggestions: These beans (and the broth) are delicious on their own. But here are some other serving ideas to mix it up:
• Grilled or crusty bread on the side
• Top with blanched greens (such as broccolini), soft boiled egg, crumbled feta, and microgreens
• Stir beans into a soup. Would be delicious in a white bean and pasta soup!
• Add beans to a grain bowl, for some plant-based protein
Danielle says
I've been making these for weekly meal prep and they're so tasty! Sometimes one batch comes out a little brothier than other times (not sure why, maybe it depends on the beans?!). But you can always add a splash more broth at the end if needed. I've shared this recipe with so many colleagues because everyone is jealous when I bring them into work.
bri says
Hi Danielle! Yay, we're so happy to hear these beans have made it into your weekly meal prep rotation! You're right, different beans sometimes take on a bit more liquid - but also it can depend on the cook time and pot you use (ie. the amount of evaporation that takes place). But yes, you can simply add a splash more broth at the end if you want it more liquidy! Thanks for sharing this with your colleagues too, that's so kind!
Claire says
These beans are so ridiculously good and this recipe really couldn’t be any easier! We halved the recipe and had it as a side with supper and had enough left over for beans and eggs for breakfast! So delicious. I accidentally left them in the oven for longer than suggested so they were a bit thicker than intended, but stirring in a bit of extra broth loosened them right up again! Added bonus: baking these makes your home smell heavenly 🙂 thanks again for another home run recipe!
bri says
So glad to hear you loved the beans Claire! We haven't had these for breakfast yet with eggs, but we're definitely going to give that a go ASAP. Thanks for the great idea!
Joliene says
I’ve now made this recipe many times. So easy, and incredibly flavorful. I’ve experimented with vegetable broth vs chicken broth and both have their benefits. No matter which way, there are lots of ways I’ve eaten them. In a bowl, On toast, in Buddha bowls, with eggs, as a soup base, mashed into a dip, and more.
bri says
Hi Joliene! We're so happy to hear you're making these beans! Love the idea of mashing them into a dip, we're going to need to try that soon! Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. If you get a chance to leave a star rating with your review, that really helps others find our recipes too! Sending lots of virtual hugs. Wishing you a happy + healthy new year!
Tobi says
These beans are off. the. charts. I used some Rancho Gordo heirloom beans (King City Pinks) and added a sprig of rosemary. I also added the salt after cooking, otherwise cooked to spec. I am vegan and eat a lot of beans and these are some of the best ever. A new favorite!
Bri says
So happy to hear you love this recipe Tobi! Your bean knowledge sounds extensive, so we're extra thrilled:) We're going to keep our eyes out for these King City Pink Beans. Not sure if we can get them where we live, but they sound amazing! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a review. We really appreciate it!
Mandy says
Hey! I just realized I don’t have a Dutch oven lol. I have an instapot, slowcooker, or could use the stovetop! Do you think either of those would work?
Pauline says
So... tell me about Better than Boullion for stock. Is this the pasty stuff in a glass jar? Mixed according to label? Or some other deep magic?
Bri says
Hi Pauline!! Yes, that’s exactly right! Most often we’re using Better than Boullion Organic Vegetable. We buy the big jar at Costco...much more economical than the smaller jars sold at Whole Foods! We do also occasionally use the No Chicken and No Beef Base when we’re looking for a veggie alternative to a more “chicken-y” or “beef-y” stock. But if I was to pick one, I’d recommend vegetable because it’s the most versatile. Mixed according to the label. Although, if you’re very sensitive to salt, sometimes you might want to go a bit lighter (say, 1/2 to 3/4 strength). For this recipe, we used BTB made exactly per the label. Beans need some salt! Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions!
Alisha says
So excited to have come across this recipe. Really wanting to make these in my Instapot. Has anyone tried and if so, how long do I cook for?
Jonathan says
These beans were great, both standalone and with all sorts of stuff we had around. I think the favorite combination so far has been with charred broccolini, feta, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a toasted baguette with some za'atar. Super easy too, will definitely become a staple in the rotation!
Wendi Abeberry says
My daughter made these and said they were the best beans she’d ever made (or tasted) in her LIFE! Now she’s a darn good cook and so am I (and we both run vegan/ vegetarian households) consequently we both have prepared A LOT of beans over the years-so I’m making these tomorrow and I’m seriously looking forward to it!
Sara says
Good morning! This looks delicious 😛 I’m a novice dry bean user - when you say soak overnight, is there a number of hours needed? Say if I wanted to make this for dinner is it ok to soak overnight and through the day?
Jillg says
I can’t wait to try these! Would you think a pressure cooker have the same results, except for the caramelizing of the garlic within?
Shannon says
I’m a non-cooker and this recipe was super easy to follow and delicious! I used a 6 quart Dutch oven and love the simplicity of putting everything in it and sit back to let it cook. This makes a lot of soup which allowed me to freeze some to have for future meals. I may have cooked my beans longer than needed as I had less broth than I thought I would which made my soup a bit thicker. The roasted garlic is delicious and gives this soup so much flavor. If you’re not a garlic lover I’d say only incorporate 1 head of garlic into the final mixture. I’ll definitely make again and have already recommended to family to try.
Bri says
Hi Shannon! So glad to hear you made & enjoyed the recipe! Great idea freezing the soup/beans. It's super convenient to have a frozen stash. Can't wait to hear some of the ways you've been serving them! Also, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and leave a note. We really appreciate the feedback. Cheers, Bri
Meabh says
We made this last night and it's a winner. Threw in some halved baby potatoes and some kale 20 mins before the end of cooking and it was such a hearty supper. Served it with homemade focaccia.
bri says
YUM! Love the additions you made here! And homemade focaccia sounds amazing. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Meabh!
Brigit B says
Hi! What size Dutch oven do you recommend for this? Thanks!
Bri says
Great question! We use a 5.5 quart dutch oven because that's the only one we have right now! You could probably get away with a slightly smaller one if you need. Generally aim for about double the headroom (e.g. beans + liquid sit half way up the pot or so) to give some space, just in case. Hope that helps!
Dominique says
Hi - can I use broth instead of stock?
Bri says
Hey Dominique! You sure can!
JASMINE says
can i use canned beans instead,
Bri says
Hi Jasmine - Since this recipe is based on the ingredients/ratios required to cook beans (from scratch) in the oven, unfortunately canned beans won’t work. Canned beans are already cooked and they’ll become far too overcooked (mushy) if substituted into this recipe. For the best results, both texturally and flavor-wise, we recommend only starting with dried, soaked beans. That said, we do have some other recipes on our site that use canned beans, such as “Farro Pilaf” and “Lemon Dill Chickpea Sandwiches”, if that helps! Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!