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Bon Appétit

White Beans With Broccoli Rabe and Lemon

3.8

(221)

Image may contain Dish Food Meal Plant Cabbage Vegetable Kale and Bowl
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Mariana Velasquez

If you like bold, assertive flavors—like broccoli rabe and lemon—this rustic white bean side dish is the recipe for you. Try it with roast chicken or pork tenderloin.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    25 minutes

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

3

tablespoons olive oil

1

small lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed

2

anchovy fillets packed in oil

4

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½

bunch broccoli rabe, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2

15-oz. cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed

¼

cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2

tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add lemon, anchovies, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lemon is softened and brown in spots and anchovies fall apart, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe; season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add beans and ½ cup water to pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded and liquid is reduced by half (you still want it to be saucy), about 5 minutes. Mix in parsley and 2 Tbsp. Parmesan.

    Step 3

    Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired, and top with more Parmesan.

Nutrition Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 320 Fat (g) 13 Saturated Fat (g) 2.5 Cholesterol (mg) 5 Carbohydrates (g) 36 Dietary Fiber (g) 9 Total Sugars (g) 4 Protein (g) 16 Sodium (mg) 350
Explore Bon AppétitWhite BeanBeanVegetableBroccoli RabeLemonCitrusFruitQuickEasySideGluten-FreeNut-FreeDinner
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Reviews (221)

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  • This will be a new recipe to my regular rotation. I made a couple changes based on ingredients I had on hand and the other reviews. I caramelized an onion and then I caramelized the lemon slices adding a very tiny bit of sugar and cooking until golden but still intact. I didn’t have anchovies so I used white miso and it all came together perfectly. I chopped my broccolini smaller and added the stalks with the beans and cooked for about 5 minutes until tender crisp then added the tips of the broccolini. Overall, phenomenal dish and I look forward to the leftovers tomorrow!

    • Benson

    • Edmonton, AB

    • 8/15/2022

  • I thought the recipe was good. I cooked Italian sausage first and added it to with the beans. Added great texture and flavour to the meal. We did not eat the lemon as I thought it was meant to enhance the dish. Only thing missing was some crusty Italian bread. Thanks Bon Appetit.

    • Ron

    • Winnipeg, Manitoba

    • 12/19/2021

  • Lovely side! I made it without the anchovies and added way more parsley than stated. I think if I made it again I would add some rosemary into the mix.

    • Pauli

    • London, England

    • 12/11/2021

  • Pleasantly surprised at the hearty, lemony flavor of the sauce. I didn’t have rapini so I used baby kale—tasty! I have a pretty high tolerance for bitter, but found this to be a bit too much for what I was hoping would be a slightly more easygoing dish, flavor-wise. I was intrigued by the use of sliced lemons, but next time, maybe I’ll shorten the cooking time and remove the peels before adding the beans.

    • Anonymous

    • Washington, DC

    • 9/22/2021

  • Wonderful recipe and easy to do!!

    • Gillian

    • Canada

    • 5/26/2021

  • The recipe had good flavour but the consistency was a bit too mushy for me, I feel like it was missing a crunch

    • Kristina D

    • Hamilton, ON

    • 1/2/2021

  • I made this, adding in sumac-roasted cauliflower and capers, then tossing it with tortellini. Outrageously good.

    • Corey-Jan

    • Roswell, GA

    • 12/28/2020