I call this easy white beans recipe a “situation” because that’s precisely what it is. Use my recipe as a guide for cooking beans, but you can really add any aromatics you want—make it wonderfully spicy or omit the chilies altogether! This is now your brothy bean situation and I encourage you to forget I even exist.
That being said, the spices and charred lemon add a wonderfully nuanced flavor to the legumes, and the crunchy bread on top is obviously my favorite part of this entire dish. Then the pistou—a classic French Provençal sauce made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, olive oil, and Parmesan, occasionally—serves as a pop of zesty freshness on top that I feel is needed to contrast the richness of the beans.