miso brothy beans 'n leeks

i'm coming around to the bean

Jan 26, 2025

I know I have previously very publicly expressed my disdain for the bean. But I’ve slowly started coming around to them over the last year. it began with adding a cannellini into my pasta salads, then into a soup, then next thing you knew it - i’m soaking dried heirloom beans and cooking them in a special little broth. lol! video proof here. now i’ve long heard the praises of Rancho Gordo beans so I figured they would be a good starting point for my brothy beans. I don’t know who coined that term but I love it. you know any opportunity for alliteration, i’m thereeeee.

on the topic of switching things up in my life - a new diva has actually entered my kitchen this month. I got the Mill food recycler. if you haven't seen it before, it's a fully automated bin that grinds and dries all your food scraps into fine grounds. adulthood really is being this happy over a second "garbage" can. but my kitchen literally hasn't smelled in weeks!! because there's no more food rotting in my trash anymore!!! i love it, and even though I named it Oscar, he is still a diva to me.

so anyway, that means all my veggie scraps (leek ends, egg shells, onion skin, simmered veggies) went into the bin and when I woke up the next morning they were fine grounds!!!!! I want to start a garden on my terrace this summer so those outta come in handy - I’ll need some major garden help from you closer to time.

okay hello, back to the process of how I soaked my beans!! I consulted Rancho’s website, because I wasn’t prepared for the amount of discourse on the proper way to broth a bean. to do or not to do: baking soda, boiling, spilling the soaking water out, soaking overnight, salting too early. AH!

this was the guide I followed. I boiled them for the 10 minutes like mentioned “to show them who’s boss”. and all things considered, my beans came out so very delicious and yummy and fabulous!!!! I will say, I was preparing to simmer them for 2-3 hours but my little guys were ready in under an hour. I used their alubia blanca bean which is itty bitty, so cooking time will vary with your bean size.

this is what I did for my first ever brothy beans. I know since Rancho beans are fresher, their instructions are a little different than other beans, so just keep that in mind!

miso brothy beans 'n leeks:

serves 2-4, idk how many beans you wanna eat

1 cup dried white beans
2 leeks, divided
2 ribs celery, halved
1 bulb of fennel, divided
1/2 yellow onion, halved
1/4 cup olive oil, plus additional for sautéing
9 cloves of garlic smashed (or 1 whole head, sliced in half width wise, skin on and all)
1/2 lemon, halved and very thinly sliced into triangles
1.5 cups lacinato kale, stems removed and ripped into smaller pieces
1 fresh rosemary sprig
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tbsp white miso paste
1 bay leaf
1 parm rind
1 shallot, diced
7 cups of water, more or less
salt + freshly cracked black pepper
shaved pecorino, crust bread, lemon wedges and 6.5 minute eggs to serve

for the beans: rinse dried beans to remove any debris then place in a bowl, covering with an inch of cold water. let soak for 4-6 hours, then drain the water. set aside as you continue to the aromatics.
for the leeks: for one, cut lengthwise in half, keeping the dark green parts in tact. this will be for simmering the bean broth. for the other leek, remove the dark green ends, and cut into 1/2” rounds. gently place them in a deep plate/bowl of cold water and soak them for 10 minutes, drain the water and gently rinse and dry them - trying to keep the ring intact as much as you can. set aside.
for the fennel: cut the tops/fronds off. cut the fennel bulb in half, leaving one side whole - this and the fronds will be used for simmering. for the other half, dice it and set aside.
in the meantime, heat a dutch oven (this was perfect for my 3.5 qt) or pot and add the 1/4 cup of olive oil. once hot, add the halved leek, onion, 1/2 of the fennel bulb and garlic. sauté until caramelized and golden brown on the bottom, then flip and repeat on the other side. season with salt and pepper.
add the soaked and drained beans to the pot along with a parm rind, 1 rosemary sprig, fennel fronds, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. pour 7 cups of water into the pot.
bring to a boil, and boil the beans for about 10 minutes. turn the heat down to low, until just 1-2 bubbles remain, and cover the pot, leaving a crack open. simmer the beans until they’re fully softened and cooked to your liking. mine took just under 1 hour but check on yours occasionally, it will depend on your bean size and variety.
remove all the vegetables, herbs and parm rind from the broth and discard. set the pot of beans aside.
in a medium, deep skillet/sauteuse (mine was 2.5 qt), heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. once hot, place the leek rounds into the pan. let them cook, untouched for about 4-6 minutes, flipping once golden on the bottom, and repeating on the other side. add the lemon slices, and cook until lightly caramelized and soft as well. lower the heat to medium low and add the diced fennel and shallot. cook until softened, gently mixing to keep the leek rings in tact.
to a small bowl: add 2 tbsp of miso paste and 1 cup of water. whisk to dissolve the paste, then pour it into the pan to deglaze. simmer the mixture until the leeks have become very soft and buttery and the liquid has significantly reduced. add a splash more of water if needed to continue cooking the leeks.
once ready, add the beans and all of their broth into the pot. or, vice versa - whichever pot you want to end the dish in. simmer everything on low for 5 minutes, tasting the broth for any salt + pepper. the miso should have nicely salted everything. add in the kale and cook 2-3 minutes, just enough to wilt the kale.
to serve: divide the beans into shallow plate/bowls, top with a jammy egg, tons of black pepper + pecorino. finish with a good drizzle of high quality olive oil + serve with a side of crusty bread. enjoy ur bowl ‘o beans!