Clams in White Bean Sauce (2024)

1 (15-ounce) can baby lima or cannellini beans or other medium white beans, rinsed

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1 fennel bulb

3 garlic cloves

1 sprig rosemary

1 lemon

Handful of parsley leaves

36 littleneck or Manila clams, scrubbed

4 thick slices country-style bread, toasted

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Reviews (10)

• This was simple and delicious. I soak my clams in cold water to loosen up any sand and rinse. I used 1/2 a fennel bulb and finely sliced. The amount of fennel and all cooked (no raw fennel on top as suggested) was perfect. I also added some white wine, a little butter, a good splash of vegetable broth, and juice from 1/2 lemon. I felt like the clams needed more liquid to steam in and I wanted extra broth to mop up with bread. I added the beans to the liquid with a small parmesan rind and the rosemary spring. I also sprinkled a little red pepper flake into the beans with the OO, S&P. I let that simmer off and then added the clams. I had a glass lid so I could see when they opened. They were cooked perfectly. I sprinkled parsley and fennel fronds on top. Served with some crusty french bread. It was outstanding.

  • Mofro

  • Chicago,IL

  • 2/25/2023

• Aren't clams full of mud? Won't the mud get all through the dish when the clams open?

  • Eileen

  • Maine

  • 5/8/2022

• Magnificent! Lemon zest is a nice addition.(BTW in Canada these are sometimes packaged as White Kidney beans)

  • andrew1655

  • Toronto, ON

  • 4/27/2020

• what adjustments will i need to make if using imported jarred clams? timing and the addition of the clam meat will definitely need to be changed, in such case.my Walmart doesn't know from fennel, but one commenter with the same problem suggested slow-cooking diced leeks and adding fennel seeds. sounds good to me.other commenters suggest an extra garlic clove, shallots, and white wine to deglaze. agreed, 100%.some commenters want to keep the fennel-herb salad separate from the clam mix; i want to do it both ways, and since there won't be any shells to fight, i think that's the way i'll go. but, without the fennel, i might add the slow-cooked diced leeks to the clams and use thinly-sliced celery for the raw salad.keeping with the flavor profile, i wonder if the addition of dried tarragon at the end might add some more oomph? in which case, i'd replace the lemon strips with orange strips, and add orange juice instead of lemon juice. after all, i'm in Florida, Land of Oranges.

  • hollisevon

  • Vero Beach, FL

  • 5/29/2019

• Simple and delicious. It will become a regular for me.

  • lcerkvenik1

  • NJ

  • 8/27/2018

• nice simple recipe; unfortunately, I couldn't find fennel anywhere (our wet NW spring seems to have screwed up the local crops), so very slowly cooked down some diced leeks and added fennel seeds-would have added sambuco if I had remembered that I had it! I agree that it would be easier to eat if you pull the meat out of the clams before serving, but not a real issue.

  • liafinney1

  • Whidbey Is, WA

  • 6/30/2017

• Nothing about this recipe worked. The flavors were bland even after we tried adding extra garlic and rosemary. I'm not sure how to prevent chewy clams but that's what we ended up with. I wouldn't make this recipe again.

  • Anonymous

  • 4/1/2017