Creamy, soft and satisfying, cannellini beans are one of our absolute favorites! This recipe shows how to cooked dried cannellini beans from scratch, either on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker. Home-cooked cannellini beans taste even more delicious than canned, and are much more economical.
Sort through the beans on a tray, and remove any broken, damaged beans or pieces of grit.
Put the beans in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak 4 hrs or overnight, or until the beans expand and look evenly hydrated.
Unsoaked beans (left) and soaked dried beans (right), which have expanded and have unwrinkled skins.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, soften chopped onion, whole smashed garlic cloves, and dried chili pepper in olive oil.
Put the drained beans in the pot and pour in enough fresh water to cover the beans by 2 inches.
Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and toss in bay leaves and fresh herb sprigs.
Bring the beans and water to a boil in a large pot, then reduce the heat. Simmer the beans about 1-3 hours (depending on their age), until they are uniformly tender and plump.
Serve beans in a large bowl or on a platter drizzled with olive oil, or add to pasta, soups, salads and more!