Mussels With White Beans, Garlic and Rosemary

Name: Mussels With White Beans, Garlic and Rosemary
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients: 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving; 2 rosemary sprigs; Fine sea salt or table salt; 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 1 cup vegetable broth, plus more as needed; 1/4 cup dry white wine; 2 pounds mussels; 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest; 1/2 cup chopped fresh soft herbs, such as parsley, dill or cilantro, plus more for serving

By Melissa Clark

Published Sept. 21, 2022

Mussels With White Beans, Garlic and Rosemary — Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 5(584)
Comments: Read comments

The best part of a pot of steamed mussels is arguably the broth — rich with garlic, wine and the heady saline juices from the bivalves. Here, the mussels are cooked in a pot of garlic and chile-braised white beans, which absorb all of their flavor, and turn them into a velvety stew. Don’t stint on the lemon zest or herbs at the end; they add just the right amount of freshness and verve.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 3 servings

¾cup extra-virgin olive oil
8garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
2rosemary sprigs
Fine sea salt or table salt
2(15-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1cup vegetable broth, plus more as needed
¼cup dry white wine
2pounds mussels
1teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
½cup chopped fresh soft herbs, such as parsley, dill or cilantro, plus more for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a large pot with a tight-fitting cover, combine oil and garlic over medium-low heat. Add red-pepper flakes, rosemary and pinch of salt. Cook until garlic just begins to turn pale gold at the edges (don’t let the garlic turn brown), 2 to 4 minutes.
Step 2
Add beans, vegetable broth, wine and 1 teaspoon salt to the pot, and stir until beans are well coated. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until broth thickens, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, rinse mussels under cold running water. If you see hairy clumps around the shell (called beards), use a sharp knife or your fingers to pull them off, then rinse mussels well. Discard any mussels with cracked shells or shells that won’t close once you pinch together the edges.
Step 4
Add mussels to the pot and cover. Let the mussels steam, stirring once or twice, until they open, 5 to 8 minutes. Gently stir in lemon zest and herbs. Taste, adding more salt, if needed.
Step 5
To serve, divide mussels and beans among individual bowls. Discard any mussels that have not opened and garnish with more herbs and red-pepper flakes, if you like.

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Ratings

5 out of 5

584 user ratings

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Comments

Steve2 years ago

Our seafood market was out of mussels so I had to go with a Plan B: shrimp. In place of vegetable broth, I made stock out of the shells. Superb!

WillKS2 years ago

Truly makes the moules more of a meal. The volume of olive oil seems like a lot but it does make the bean and mussel broth silky, as MC says. The garlic and rosemary blend in well and do not overwhelm. No added salt needed. I doubled all for 4lbs mussels but I think it would have worked fine with less stock, and will try that next time.

Will2 years ago

When evaluating mussels that are open, I rap them on the counter rather than pinching them to se off they close. Works for clams, too.

Deb C1 week ago

Delicious and different! I used only 1/4 cup olive oil and one can of beans and added chives at the end. The broth was delicious! The beans were a bit strange tho and my husband would have preferred no beans - are their purpose to make the broth thick? Not sure beans are needed here. Will make again, tho! The rosemanr garlic lemon combo was perfection!

Suevee1 month ago

I have found through experience that for PEI mussels at least, I have no trouble with them so long as the "pack/ship" date is six days ago or less. That date is on the label, though often they are displayed so you can't see that side of the label. ASK! Any longer and you'll find more dead ones, some will smell unpleasant, and you'll get less to eat out of a bag of mussels. (Yes, they usually are labelled to be good for nearly 2 weeks after shipping.)

Jed3 months ago

Nice idea, but needs a *lot* of garlic, salt, rosemary, pepper, and herbs to make palatable the overweening blandness of the beans. Double or triple it all, to taste, and it's quite tasty.

Rebecca1 month ago

I love anchovies, and always start this recipe by dissolving some in the oil and garlic. They add so much umami, and there is little need for additional salt when you use them.

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