Name: Cranberry Beans with Fennel, Grapes, and Pine Nuts
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons table salt for brining; 1 pound (2½ cups) dried cranberry beans , picked over and rinsed; 1¼ teaspoons table salt , divided; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; ½ fennel bulb , 2 tablespoons fronds chopped, stalks discarded, bulb cored and chopped; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar , divided; ½ cup sugar; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 6 ounces seedless red grapes , halved (1 cup); ½ cup pine nuts , toasted

Why This Recipe Works

“Agrodolce” refers to an Italian sweet-and-sour sauce made by reducing vinegar and sugar. This boldly flavored condiment can accompany anything from pasta to beans to vegetables. Here we use this classic sauce in a flavorful cranberry bean dish. Since canned cranberry beans are difficult to find, we used dried, brining the beans overnight to ensure creamy texture and fewer blowouts before rinsing and simmering them until tender. Next, we sautéed chopped fennel until it softened and added fennel seeds to reinforce the fresh fennel's flavor. We reduced red wine vinegar and sugar until they thickened into the signature agrodolce glaze, which beautifully coated the beans. Grapes and pine nuts provided pops of sweetness and crunch.

Before You Begin

A sprinkling of fennel fronds underscored the fennel flavor. If cranberry beans are unavailable, you can substitute pinto beans.

Instructions

Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

Bring beans, 4 quarts water, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in Dutch oven. Reduce to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1 to 1½ hours. Drain beans and set aside.

Wipe Dutch oven clean with paper towels. Heat oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add fennel bulb, pepper, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup vinegar, sugar, and fennel seeds until sugar is dissolved. Bring to simmer and cook until liquid is thickened to syrupy glaze and edges of fennel are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add beans to vinegar-fennel mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add grapes, pine nuts, fennel fronds, and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.