If reincarnation is real, I definitely lived a former life in Tuscany as a “mangiafagioli,” the pet name for locals because of their love of legumes. Much of my cooking, especially in these cold, dark months, puts beans at the center of the plate.

By beans, I mean dried, not canned. Sure, there’s a place for canned beans in a pinch, but they can’t match the flavor of well cooked, tender skinned, creamy dried beans. Frankly, there’s something magical about turning a bag of rock-hard beans into a delicious dinner.

I’d argue the secret to a pot of great beans begins with sourcing and soaking. There are great brands out there for heirloom beans, like Rancho Gordo, but I think the local supermarket or co-op can be fine too. Buy beans that have glossy skins and are whole; loose, wrinkly skin, broken bits, or dusty looking packaging should be avoided.

I’ve never quite understood resistance to soaking dried beans. It’s like setting up the coffeemaker the night before—minimal effort you thank yourself for the next morning. After dinner, I’ll dump a bag of beans into my Dutch oven, swirl them under running water to sort for errant pebbles or dirt clods, then add a couple tablespoons of salt and enough water to cover by an inch or so. Despite the outdated kitchen wisdom suggesting otherwise, soaking beans in salted water helps them absorb water while softening the skins. Soaked beans can even be drained, bagged and frozen, then cooked right from the freezer. Just be sure to drain and rinse the beans after soaking; they shouldn’t be cooked in their soaking water.

Legumes are at their best cooked low and slow. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then slide into a 275-degree oven for a 365-degree surround of steady heat. Most beans are tender enough within the hour, though bean doneness is subjective. I favor my beans as tender and creamy as possible, so typically cook them double or triple that. If cooked slowly enough, they won’t turn to sludge.

While you can cook them in plain, salted water, I typically add easy flavor with a couple of bay leaves, an herb sprig, maybe a dried chili, and always a head of garlic with the top quarter lopped off, which softens as the beans simmer so the cloves can be squeezed into the beans for a soft, sweet garlicky note. This is how I’ll cook beans to add to soups, stews and pasta or rice dishes, or enjoy straight from the pot doused in lush extra-virgin olive oil, Milk Street also has dozens of recipes using dried beans.

One of my all-time favorite Milk Street recipes is this Turkish dish of white beans flavored with a lamb or beef shank and plenty of garlic. It takes minutes to assemble and cooks unattended. The bright pickled tomato topping cuts through the dish’s richness; though arguably some diced jalapeños or other pickled peppers work fine with less effort.

Mexican Cowboy Beans, which Chris picked up on a trip to Pueblo last year, layers on meat and spice. Adding a sofrito once the beans are nearly fully cooked keeps its flavor fresh. I’ll serve the beans over fluffy cilantro-flavored rice and pile on pickled red onions, sour cream and diced avocado. The next day, I’ll add the beans, scrambled eggs and cheese to breakfast burritos, or smash leftover beans into quesadillas with pepper jack cheese. A pot of beans is the gift that keeps on giving!

Chickpea and Harissa Soup (lablabi) is the national breakfast of Tunisia, and while I’m all for savory breakfasts, I tend to serve it for lunch or dinner. It’s one of those one-pot, everything-but-the-kitchen soups that highlights the earthy chickpeas with spicy harissa, piquant capers and olives, handfuls of herbs and crunchy-chewy croutons.

And then there’s hummus, which I make frequently as a main-course meal with a topping of spiced ground beef or lamb, fresh baked bread, like our easy Turkish-style pide bread (or store-bought pita, depending on time), and a mix of pickled vegetables for contrast (or to swipe up the hummus). It’s a lot easier than it sounds and is an engaging way to break up weeknight doldrums. Cooking the chickpeas with baking soda helps soften their texture and flesh for the creamiest texture (which you’ll never attain with canned beans).

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Matthew Card

Matthew Card is Milk Street’s Creative Director for Recipes and Products, resident coffee geek, knife collector and equipment junkie. He has 25-plus years of professional cooking, recipe development, food writing and teaching under his belt. When he’s not in the Milk Street kitchen or on the road hunting for new recipes and ideas, Matthew lives with his family in Canberra, Australia, where he does his best to dodge kangaroos on his mountain bike and is learning to love Vegemite.