White Beans with Rosemary

I'm always interested in trying tasty new ways to prepare beans .  They are pretty much the perfect food: healthy and inexpensive.  Our local Zoe's Kitchen restaurant serves Braised White Beans with fresh rosemary that are delicious.  I haven't had the beans at Zoe's for quite some time, so I can't say for sure how these compare to the original, but we enjoyed this homemade version. 

We had these white beans with focaccia bread and a kale, spinach and apple salad.  It felt great to serve a healthy meal that was quite tasty too.  I used canned beans this time, but I hope to try making this using dried beans at some point.  There is nothing particularly fancy about this dish, just beans flavored with some ordinary ingredients: onion, garlic, rosemary and chicken stock.  It is simplicity at its best!

White Beans with Rosemary
Yield: Serves 4-5
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
2 cans cannellini beans (15.5 oz each), drained and rinsed
1-1 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh rosemary for garnish, if desired

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and rosemary and saute about 30 seconds.

2. Add the beans and 1 cup chicken broth.  Simmer, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, adding more chicken broth if desired.  (The mixture will continue to thicken off the heat.)  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with fresh rosemary, if desired.

Source: http://yeahimadeit.com