Beans to Serve With Steak: 10-Minute BBQ Beans
Turn cooked beans into quick BBQ beans in about 10 minutes with ketchup, maple syrup, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, paprika, black pepper, and butter.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Garlic Shrimp and Rancho Gordo White Bean Stew with Roasted Red Peppers
There's something satisfying about making dinner in one pan, especially when every ingredient contributes to the next layer of flavor.
This garlic shrimp and white bean stew started with whole garlic cloves sizzling in olive oil. Then came the shrimp, white wine, roasted red peppers, and some of my favorite Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca beans.
By the time I finished everything with butter and fresh lemon juice, the broth had become a rich, silky sauce without a drop of cream.
I served it over basmati rice, which turned out to be the perfect way to soak up all that flavor.
Nothing particularly complicated. Just good ingredients, a little patience, and a pan that never gets washed between steps.
Ingredients for Garlic Shrimp and Rancho Gordo White Bean Stew
Servings: Approximately 4
For the stew:
- 1 to 1½ pounds large shrimp, cleaned, tails on if desired
- 6–8 whole garlic cloves, lightly smashed
- Extra virgin olive oil, enough to generously coat the pan
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 roasted red pepper, diced
- 2 cups dry white wine
- Approximately 3 cups cooked Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca beans
- Reserved bean cooking broth, as needed
- 2–3 tablespoons butter, or to taste
- Fresh lemon juice, to taste
- Cooked basmati rice, for serving
The shrimp quantity, garlic quantity, and butter measurement are approximations. Adjust according to the amount you're preparing.
How to Make Shrimp and White Bean Stew
Step 1: Infuse the Olive Oil with Garlic
Heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil in a large stainless steel sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the whole, lightly smashed garlic cloves and cook until golden and fragrant.
I like to tilt the pan slightly so the garlic sits in a deeper pool of olive oil, almost shallow-frying it.
This is one of my favorite cooking techniques because the garlic flavors the oil, and that oil becomes the foundation for everything else.
Watch the garlic carefully. You want golden, not burnt.
Step 2: Cook the Shrimp in the Garlic Oil
Add the shrimp directly to the garlic-infused olive oil.
Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook the shrimp until pink and opaque, turning them as needed.
Once cooked, remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside.
Leave the garlic cloves, olive oil, and any juices behind.
This is important. We're going to build the rest of the dish using all that flavor.
And by removing the shrimp now, we avoid overcooking them while the beans and sauce simmer.
Step 3: Build the White Wine and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
With the shrimp removed, add the thinly sliced carrot and diced roasted red pepper to the same pan.
Pour in 2 cups of dry white wine.
Bring everything to a boil and allow the wine to reduce.
As the wine cooks down, it picks up the garlic, olive oil, and shrimp flavors left in the pan.
The carrots begin to soften, while the roasted peppers contribute sweetness and a beautiful red color.
Don't rush this step. Reducing the wine concentrates its flavor and mellows its sharpness.
What you're building here is the base of the entire stew.
Step 4: Add the Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca Beans
Stir in approximately 3 cups of cooked Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca beans, along with some of their reserved cooking broth.
I love these beans.
They're small, creamy, and hold their shape beautifully. But one of the best things about cooking dried beans is the liquid left behind.
Don't throw away your bean broth.
It's loaded with flavor and starch, and in this dish, it helps transform the reduced white wine and olive oil into a naturally thickened sauce.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer and allow the beans to absorb the flavors of the garlic, wine, carrots, and roasted peppers.
If the mixture becomes too thick, add more bean broth. If it's too thin, let it simmer uncovered until the consistency is where you want it.
You want something between a soup and a thick sauce, with enough liquid to spoon generously over rice.
Step 5: Return the Shrimp and Finish with Butter and Lemon
Once the beans have simmered and the sauce has developed, return the cooked shrimp to the pan.
Warm them gently in the stew.
Then reduce the heat to low or turn it off completely.
Add the butter and swirl it into the sauce until melted.
Finish with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice, tasting as you go.
This is where everything comes together.
The butter adds richness and helps create a silky texture. The lemon brightens the dish and balances the richness of the olive oil and butter.
And the starch from the beans helps give everything a creamy consistency without needing heavy cream.
Step 6: Serve Over Basmati Rice
Spoon a generous serving of basmati rice into a shallow bowl.
Ladle the shrimp, white beans, carrots, roasted red peppers, and plenty of that golden lemon-butter sauce over the top.
I use Julie Sahni's basmati rice recipe, which produces beautifully fluffy, separate grains. It's become my go-to method for making basmati rice at home.
The rice absorbs the sauce without turning mushy, making it a perfect companion to the creamy beans and tender shrimp.
Make sure every bowl gets plenty of sauce. That's where so much of the flavor lives.
Why This Shrimp and White Bean Stew Works
The secret to this dish isn't any one ingredient.
It's the order in which everything gets cooked.
First, the garlic flavors the olive oil.
Then the shrimp cook in that same oil, adding another layer of flavor.
Next, the white wine picks up everything left behind while the carrots and roasted peppers soften.
Finally, the beans and their cooking broth bring everything together.
Nothing gets wasted.
And because the shrimp are removed early and returned at the end, they stay tender rather than spending the entire cooking time simmering in the sauce.
It's a simple technique, but it makes a noticeable difference.
Tips for Making a Better Shrimp and White Bean Stew
Use good beans. Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca beans are my preference, but cannellini beans will work as well.
Save the cooking liquid. Bean broth is an ingredient in its own right. It provides flavor and helps give the stew body.
Don't overcook the shrimp. Cook them first, remove them, and return them only long enough to reheat.
Give the wine time to reduce. This concentrates the flavors before you add the beans and their broth.
Finish with butter and lemon off the heat. The butter adds richness while the lemon keeps the dish bright.
Serve with rice or good crusty bread. You'll want something to catch every last spoonful of that sauce.
Good Ingredients, a Little Patience, and One Pan
I find myself returning to these kinds of meals more and more.
Beans, garlic, olive oil, vegetables, and something fresh from the seafood counter.
Nothing particularly fancy, but plenty of opportunity to make something memorable.
The Rancho Gordo beans provide the foundation, the shrimp make the meal feel special, and the basmati rice ensures none of that wonderful sauce goes to waste.
And the best part?
Most of the flavor comes from simply letting each ingredient contribute something to the next.
Sometimes great cooking isn't about using more ingredients.
It's about getting more out of the ingredients you already have.
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