The upside to these beans is that they are totally delicious. The downside is that they take a seriously long time to soak and cook (plan on starting these the night before you intend to serve them). But please don’t take any shortcuts, or you may end up with undercooked beans, which are not so delicious. For the perfect combination, try Classic Beef Meatballs (page 4) with Classic Tomato Sauce (page 56) over a heap of these beans. They are also a great addition to a salad, and can turn simple greens into a protein-rich meal.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

　　2 cups small white beans

　　1/2 small onion

　　1 small carrot, cut in half crosswise

　　1 celery stalk, quartered crosswise

　　2 garlic cloves

　　1 bay leaf

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　2 tablespoons salt

　　

Step 1

Soak the beans overnight in a pot with at least six times their volume of water.

　　

Step 2

Transfer the beans along with the soaking liquid to a large pot. Add enough water to the liquid to cover by 4 inches. Add the onions, carrot, celery, garlic, and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

　　

Step 3

Drain the beans, discard the bay leaf, and transfer the beans to a large mixing bowl. Remove the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and finely chop. Return the vegetables and garlic to the bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and mix gently but thoroughly before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation.Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick.Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.