- 1 pound dry navy, great Northern, or cannellini beans
- 1 1/2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large onion, cut into chunks
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 ounces celery root, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- Rinse and sort beans, removing any pebbles or other foreign objects. In a 4-quart Dutch oven or pot combine beans and 8 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
- Drain soaked beans; rinse in colander. In the same pot brown meat cubes, half at a time, with the onion and garlic in hot oil. Drain off fat. Add drained beans, broth, wine, and bay leaves to meat. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Discard bay leaves. Stir in carrots, celery root, celery, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes more or until beans are nearly tender. Uncover and boil gently about 30 minutes more or until beans are tender and liquid has thickened, stirring occasionally.