From traditional to outright weird: 4 sweet and savory recipes with cannellini beans
Did you know that you can use cannellini beans in both savory and sweet dishes? (iStock Photo)

If you're looking to experiment in the food department and have already begun preparing for winter by boiling legumes to be freezer-ready, perhaps it's time you dive deeper into the world of beans – more specifically Turkish-style stews and white bean desserts



When you think of dried legumes, probably one of the first that comes to mind is beans. From kidney beans and mung beans to black beans, there are many different kinds. Today we'll look at all the weird and wonderful recipes you can do with the cannellini kind, from classic savory dishes to innovative desserts, which goes to show that there are actually many ways you can use them in your cooking.

Kuru fasulye, a traditional Turkish bean dish, is often served with onion and variety of pickles. (iStock Photo)

Kuru fasulye

This traditional Turkish bean dish often gets compared to baked beans but is probably best described as a classic stew. This dish can be found in many local and small restaurants for a quick meal served with some rice either on the side or under the beans. In fact, on a small street in Istanbul in the shadows of the Süleymaniye Mosque, a restaurant almost exclusively serves "kuru fasulye," and people flock to get a taste of it. There are many different ways to prepare this dish (for example, with or without meat), but here is a pretty basic one to get you started on your bean journey.

Ingredients