White Bean

It's low-cal and filling—as in perfect for swimsuit season. I make it a day ahead so the veggies can marinate and the flavor pops.

To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the bacon and add a splash of oil.

This pasta salad is a clever take on a well-loved soup. Because it's served at room temperature, it makes a great side dish at a picnic or barbecue. It's colorful and extremely flavorful, with pesto, beans, and vegetables.

This textured spread is great served with cured meats. If you wind up with leftovers, use it on sandwiches.

This satisfying salad is great alongside broiled fish, roast chicken, or a simple steak. To turn it into a vegetarian meal, fold in sliced hard-boiled eggs.

The pork for this Southern-inspired pasta sauce is studded with garlic, which infuses the meat while it roasts.

We're seeing gigante beans everywhere. They're creamy and buttery, and their size adds a dramatic look.

A little white wine and lots of fresh herbs put a refined spin on this classic that tastes just as good the next day.

Packed with vegetables and white beans, this is the kind of wholesome one-pot meal you need to ward off winter blues.

For a simple but elegant winter holiday meal, look no further than this Italian classic.

If you can't find fresh chorizo, use any fresh sausage. For less heat, choose a sweet (mild) Italian sausage.

This hearty meal-in-a-bowl was recreated by Epicurious member Alisa Guralnick, from Encinitas, California, after trying a version of the divine soup at a restaurant in New York City. This recipe features sausage, white beans, spinach, pasta, and other veggies, making this a customizable recipe perfect for extra produce from community gardens, co-ops, or your own garden.

In this protein-packed vegetarian version of the French bistro classic, tangy leeks and a garlic-herb bread-crumb topping mean that you won’t miss the sausage and duck that you’d find in a traditional cassoulet. Best of all, this one-pot wonder takes considerably less time to assemble and cook than a meat-lover’s cassoulet. For an easy flavor boost, substitute vegetable broth for the water, and add a can of fire-roasted tomatoes.

The classic tuna sandwich gets a healthy makeover with this Italian-style recipe that replaces mayo with a luscious cannellini bean spread. The garlicky mixture, when layered with watercress, gives the flaked tuna an unexpectedly delicious taste. Adjust the lemon juice and garlic that go into the beans to your taste and then spoon onto a crusty piece of rustic Italian bread or a panini roll.

This creamy soup, served in tiny cups and bright with chive oil, is easy to make and serve. Kids will like the little cups and the crazy green swirl. Adults will appreciate the healthfulness and the flavor.

Creamy white beans, fresh basil, and crunchy young vegetables are combined in a light but substantial salad that takes advantage of the first fruits of the spring garden. Use a mild honey, like clover or wildflower. —Chef Sam

A mix of chopped aromatics, like the Italian blend soffritto, is the base for countless recipes because it lends character to simple dishes. That's why we always have soffritto on hand. Freeze the extra from this recipe, then thaw, and you'll have the foundation for soups and sauces ready to go—no chopping required.

"If gumbo is the national stew of Cajun country, burgoo is the stew of Kentucky," Ronni Lundy asserts in her book Shuck Beans, Stack Cakes, and Honest Fried Chicken. Because the stew is made in many different ways with a variety of ingredients, the "Burgoo Song" by Robert Myles claims, "You can toss in almost anything that ever walked or flew." Many early recipes for burgoo include squirrel in addition to chicken, beef, and pork. In Kentucky, Anderson County, which hosts its Burgoo Festival every September, is known as the burgoo capital of the world. Arenzville, Illinois, makes a similar claim. But the French lay claim to the basic concept of burgoo, and it's conceivable that the word burgoo arose somehow from the French ragout (pronounced ra-goo), also a term describing a stew. Burgoo makers agree • Burgoo should be made in stages: cook the meat first, and then add the vegetables.
• No less than 4—6 hours should be devoted to making burgoo. Some recipes call for a 24-hour cooking period.
• Burgoo should contain more than one meat.
• Burgoo should be prepared outdoors over an open fire.

We usually turn to fish for omega-3 fatty acids and their brain-enhancing powers, but walnuts are a great vegetarian source of the nutrient.