Creamy Braised Beans With Charred Pickles and Croutons

Name: Creamy Braised Beans With Charred Pickles and Croutons
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients: 1 lb. dried large lima beans; 5 Tbsp. plus ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped; 1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper; 1½ tsp. fennel seeds; ½ tsp. fennel pollen (optional); 1 medium onion, finely chopped; ½ fennel bulb, fronds reserved, finely chopped; 2 celery stalks, finely chopped; 3 wide strips lemon zest; 2 bay leaves; 1⅓ cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more; 1 lb. fresh banana peppers, Anaheim chiles, or other sweet peppers; 1 small bunch dill; 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds; 2 tsp. black peppercorns; 1½ tsp. fennel seeds; 1 tsp. mustard seeds; 2 cups distilled white vinegar; ¼ cup sugar; 2 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 6 garlic cloves, smashed; 3 slices sourdough bread, torn into 1"–2" pieces; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup labneh; 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice; 1 garlic clove, finely grated

By Jason Vaughan

September 14, 2021

Creamy Braised Beans With Charred Pickles and Croutons recipe

Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio

Bean love runs deep in the kitchen at Tiny Champions in Houston. Chef Jason Vaughan recommends using the best-quality beans you can find (like Rancho Gordo) for this recipe. You can skip the toppings and serve these beans with toasted crusty bread, or as an appetizer alongside cheese and pickles. If you want to make this dish vegan, use toum instead of the labneh sauce.

What you’ll need

Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Small Saucepan
$155 At Amazon
Vegetable Peeler
$12 $10 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon

Recipe notes