If you ever wondered how to cook cranberry beans and what to do with them, this recipe is perfect for you. It is quick, simple and super flavorful.
Recipe by Vicky Cohen and Ruth Fox on January 16, 2020
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT-493387H45M9S
Total time: PT-493387H45M9S
Rating
5 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
how to cook cranberry beans, what are cranberry beans ?
Ingredients
2 lb fresh cranberry beans ( about 4 cups shelled) ( See Note 1 for dry cranberry beans)
6 garlic cloves, whole
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp red hot pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 tsp fresh thyme
2-4 cups water
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt ( more or less to taste)
Categories
Entree
Cuisine
Spain
Steps
Shell the cranberry beans, rinse and drain
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and tilt the pan so all the oil goes to one side of the pan and the garlic cooks evenly. Cook for about 2 minutes or until it starts to get a slight golden color (make sure it doesn't burn!)
Add the red hot pepper flakes and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes
Add the shelled beans, stirring well so the beans get evenly coated with the oil and cook for 3 minutes
Add 2 cups of water, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, uncovered
Turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the beans are tender but not mushy. (See Note 2). You should have some cooking liquid remaining in the pot. If the beans are not tender and there is little water left, keep adding water until thy soften. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed (take into consideration that, as the beans, cook the flavor and saltiness concentrates. Do not oversalt!)
Mash the garlic into the cooking liquid ( It should be very tender and mash easily. These are delicious eaten plain, served over rice or with crusty bread
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 331 calories
Carbohydrates: 43
Protein: 16.5
Fat: 11.3
Saturated Fat: 1.7
Trans Fat: 0
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 292
Sugar: 0
Unsaturated Fat: 1.5
Reviews
Stina Cahill on 2017-09-22 (5 stars): I picked up some fresh Vermont cranberry beans from Tacoma farmers market for 3.99/lb. Had no idea what to do with them but they were so strikingly beautiful I knew my kids would love them. We wanted a simple recipe because I only had a few ingredients on hand this one was perfect. Even with out the thyme, bay leaves and red pepper flakes they were delicious everyone loved them! I doubled up on minced garlic and ended up cooking them a little longer (5-10 min) and putting tablespoon of dried onion and teaspoon of salt. They came out perfect! Husband said he'd never had beans this good! I'd never cooked fresh shelled beans like this and now maybe that's all we want!
Gail on 2019-08-29 (5 stars): These are fantastic!!!
Madie on 2020-03-14 (5 stars): The best fresh cranberry beans Recipe !
Jenn on 2020-03-16 (5 stars): Deliciously simple cranberry beans
Carmela on 2020-03-16 (5 stars): This cranberry bean recipe is so simple, yet so delicious!
Brenda on 2020-04-26 (5 stars): I made these for lunch, strictly adhering to the recipe and they were delicious. After tasting them, though, we began to experiment, and found that a drizzle of Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar and a splash of Tarragon Infused Olive Oil added a nice dimension of flavor while still highlighting the beans and garlic. Next time I may add the tarragon while cooking. Hmm . . . I need to get more beans . . .
Lynn C. on 2023-01-04 (4 stars): Hmm... what do yo you (or what is) "Cold Roasted"...?
Thanks-this is all kind of new to me.
Karen Cunningham on 2020-08-26 (5 stars): This is such a simple but incredibly satisfying bean recipe. I made more of the broth as that was my favorite part of the dish. A soupy satisfying comforting meal for sure. Be sure to dunk some crusty sourdough or other favorite crunchy bread in the broth
Diane on 2020-12-19 (5 stars): Best way to prepare any type of beans. Absolutely love this recipe.
Rebeca on 2021-01-04 (5 stars): Delicious and very satisfying. Another great recipe! Thanks for sharing :)
Leandra on 2021-02-04 (5 stars): It's my go-to recipe to cook cranberry beans
Areta on 2021-02-04 (5 stars): Absolutely fantastic recipe!
Anna on 2021-02-09 (5 stars): I love how simple and tasty this recipe is! Thank you for sharing!
Joe DeCredico on 2021-02-21 (5 stars): Just made a pot with a bag of dried beans from Kandarian Organic Farms that I soaked overnight. Love the garlic frying technique. Tonight I will serve them along side my hatch green chili. I added a bit more olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar. Delicious.
Pauline on 2021-04-16 (5 stars): This recipe is so delicious! I would give it a 10 if I could. I pull recipes off line all the time and this is the first one I have ever written a review for. It truly desires it!
Pauline on 2021-04-16 (5 stars): This recipe is so delicious! I would give it a 10 if I could. I pull recipes off line all the time and this is the first one I have ever written a review for. It truly desires it! PS: I put all the ingredients in a crockpot and walked away. I love the whole garlic cloves instead of crushed. Great blended flavor.
Dawn Larson on 2021-08-19 (5 stars): Wow! When I picked up a bag of Romano/cranberry beans at the supermarket, I had no idea what to do with them! This recipe was perfect. My husband loved the beans and the only additional thing I did at the end of the cooking was add a small dollop of butter and melted it in. Absolutely delicious! We served it up with fresh boiled corn and pan fried salmon fillets.
Rosa Hirsch on 2021-09-12 (5 stars): local farmers market had fresh cranberry beans -- never made them but I was curious. Looked up a recipe and got yours. Just made them and they are AMAZING!!!!!!!! Thank you for the great recipe!
Sherri on 2021-11-03 (5 stars): Great recipe for any fresh, shelling beans you get from a Farmer's Market, garden, etc. I looked this up because we happened to get cranberry beans last week.
Deb on 2021-11-19 (5 stars): I am not usually a bean eater, but these are the best I have tasted! I love the flavor! So creamy and delicious! Thanks so much!
Rachelle Chong on 2022-09-20 (5 stars): Quite easy and delicious recipe.
Jackie Anzaldi on 2022-11-13 (5 stars): What a delicious recipe! It’s so simple and flavorful. I served it with some crusty bread and it was the perfect lunch.
Elnodi on 2024-03-20 (5 stars): Hello, so happy I found your recipe. It's divine!
Autum on 2025-01-06 (5 stars): This was my first time trying cranberry beans and I was pleasantly shocked by how delicious these turned out!! The only modifications that I made was adding onions and Marjoram. Not only do I highly recommend the recipe, I intend on making again next weekend!
