A Love Letter to Cassoulet Beans

There are dishes that make you fall in love at first bite, and then there are dishes that inspire proposals. This recipe belongs firmly in the latter category. Marry Me Beans takes the viral sensation of Marry Me Chicken and reimagines it as a vegetarian showstopper that puts heirloom cassoulet beans front and center where they belong.

Why Cassoulet Beans Are Worth Saying "I Do" To

Cassoulet beans aren't your average grocery store legumes. These creamy, buttery heirloom beauties have been the backbone of French comfort food for centuries, traditionally slow-cooked in the legendary cassoulet of southwestern France. Because you've invested in these gourmet beans, you want to treat them right—and that starts with building flavor from the moment they hit the pot.

Unlike their mass-produced cousins, cassoulet beans have a naturally rich, almost meaty flavor that develops into pure velvet when properly cooked. They're substantial enough to stand up to bold flavors while being tender enough to melt in your mouth. In this recipe, we're infusing the beans as they cook with aromatics that will create layers of flavor throughout the dish, making every bite an experience worth remembering.

The Secret: Flavor From the Ground Up

The magic of this recipe lies in treating the bean cooking liquid like liquid gold. By simmering the beans with bay leaves, garlic, thyme, and rosemary, we're creating an aromatic stock that becomes part of the final sauce. This isn't just about cooking beans—it's about building a foundation of flavor that elevates the entire dish.

When that herb-infused cooking liquid combines with sun-dried tomatoes, cream, white wine, and Parmesan, you get a sauce so seductive it might actually inspire a marriage proposal. Or at the very least, requests for the recipe.

Marry Me Beans

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Category

Main Dish

Marry Me Beans transforms creamy cassoulet beans into a romantic showstopper with sun-dried tomatoes, cream, and herbs. A vegetarian dish worth proposing over.

Author:

Lisa Riznikove

Ingredients

For The Beans

• 1 lb dried cassoulet beans, soaked overnight
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• 6 cups water

• 2 bay leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp salt

For The Dish

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp Calabrian Chili Flakes

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• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped (reserve some oil)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup vegetable stock (from cooking beans)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh basil for garnish
• Crusty bread for serving

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Directions

1. Drain soaked beans and add to a large pot with 6 cups water, bay leaves, smashed garlic, thyme, rosemary, and salt. OR you could cook from dry in a pressure cooker on high for 60 minutes with at least 15 minute natural release.

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook 1-1.5 hours until beans are creamy and tender but not falling apart.

3. Reserve the cooking liquid, then drain beans and discard herbs.

For the Sauce

1. In a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Pour in white wine and let it reduce by half, about 3 minutes.

4. Add sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, one cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid, oregano, and basil. Stir to combine.

5. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.

6. Add the cooked beans to the sauce and stir gently. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the beans to absorb the flavors.

7. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

8. The sauce should be creamy and luscious—if too thick, add more bean liquid or cream.

Recipe Note

Bean Cooking Tips:

To make this a fast weeknight dinner, cook the beans ahead and refrigerate them for up to 5 days or freeze them in their broth. I personally used a pressure cooker but the beans are so large that they still took an hour and a half to cook from dry by the time you factor in coming up to pressure and the natural release. They really benefit from a long slow hydration to get the proper texture so this is a great weekend batch cooking project. Check out our Guides for the definitive guide to cooking heirloom beans and how to freeze beans. Leave us a review! I'd love to know what you think.