Best Beans And Greens Recipes

BRAISED WHITE BEANS AND GREENS WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• In a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the fennel, onion and rosemary, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Begin adding handfuls of the greens, cooking and stirring until leaves wilt.
• Add the white beans, broth and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer, mashing some of the beans with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, then the mozzarella, if using, and Pecorino Romano. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide among shallow bowls and top with more Pecorino Romano. Serve with toasted bread and a dish of red-pepper flakes on the side.

GREENS AND BEANS

Steps:

• Pour enough water into a large pot to be about 2 inches deep; bring to a boil. Stir 1 teaspoon salt into the boiling water; add escarole. Cook the escarole at a boil, pushing the escarole further into the water as it wilts, until it is fork-tender, 3 to 5 minutes; drain.
• Pour olive oil into the pot and place over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in hot oil until the garlic is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir drained escarole and cannellini beans into the garlic mixture; cook and stir until the beans are hot, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the mixture just before serving.

QUICK-BRAISED GREENS AND BEANS WITH BACON

Steps:

• Prepare the greens: Cut the tough stems out of the greens and discard. Stack the leaves, roll tightly crosswise and slice into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with cold water and swish to remove grit. Transfer greens to a colander, cleaning them a second time if the water remaining in the bowl is visibly dirty.
• Cook 2 bacon slices in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Meanwhile, cut the remaining 2 bacon slices crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.
• Add the 1/4-inch bacon strips to the hot bacon fat and cook, stirring, until the fat in the bacon strips starts to render, about 1 minute. Add the onion and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown around the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the stock, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, 5 minutes.
• Increase the heat to medium, add the greens, season with salt and pepper and stir until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Cover and cook until tender with a little bite, about 3 minutes.
• Uncover and add the beans and hot sauce. Stir until the beans are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among serving dishes and crumble the cooked bacon slices on top. Serve with more hot sauce.

STEWED COLLARD GREENS AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Cover beans with 3 inches of water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover for 1 hour. Drain.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes until tender, about 4 minutes. Add collard greens in batches, stirring until wilted. Add beans, Parmesan rind, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beans and greens are tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Season with salt and vinegar.

CHEF JOHN'S BEANS AND GREENS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until bubbling and sizzling, about 20 seconds. Pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook until liquid is reduced by half, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes.
• Stir in beans; bring to a boil and cook until you can see the tops of the beans just below the surface of the liquid, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in oregano, lemon zest, and anchovy filet. Simmer for 3 minutes.
• Place escarole in bean mixture; reduce heat to low and stir until escarole wilts, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; garnish with red pepper flakes and extra virgin olive oil.

COLLARD GREENS WITH WHITE BEANS AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Place beans, onion halves, carrot, thyme and rosemary sprig and bay leaf in a large pot; cover the beans with 1500 ml of water. Crumble in the vegetable cube, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame; simmer about 30 minutes over low heat until the beans are nearly tender. Drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid. Discard all of the other solids. Set aside.
• Sauté sliced onion and garlic in butter and olive oil for 6 minutes over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Add the collards and cook, tossing, until slightly wilted.
• Add half of the reserved bean cooking liquid, cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the collards are tender, about 50 minutes.
• Add the beans, sausage and the remaining bean cooking liquid to the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the lime zest and juice. Season with pepper.

COLLARD GREENS AND BEANS

Steps:

• Place the bacon in a large, deep pan with a lid, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces from the pan, and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir the sliced onion into the hot bacon fat. Cook and stir the onion until it begins to brown, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook and stir 4 more minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, stir in the collard greens, and toss gently until the greens are wilted, about 3 minutes.
• Pour in the water to almost cover the collard greens, and stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer the collard greens until very tender, 1 to 2 hours.
• About 1/2 hour before serving, stir the cannellini beans into the collard greens, and return to a simmer.

PASTA WITH ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE, BEANS AND GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to the package's instructions.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Add collard greens and toss to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme, cannellini beans and tomatoes and toss to warm through. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.
• Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Return pasta to the empty pot and set over medium-low. Add the sausage mixture and toss to combine, gradually adding the reserved pasta water as needed to create a sauce.
• Remove from the heat and sprinkle with parsley, chives, lemon zest and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and serve with lemon wedges.

PENNE WITH SPICY CHICKEN SAUSAGE, BEANS, AND GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place penne in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
• In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until evenly brown. Cool and slice.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the garlic 1 minute, until lightly browned. Mix in sausage, pesto, and white wine. Cook and stir until heated through. Mix in beans with liquid and arugula, and cook until arugula is wilted. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook until heated through. Toss with pasta, season with salt and pepper, and top with goat cheese to serve.

SMOKY BEANS AND GREENS ON TOAST

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet over medium. Brush the bread on both sides with the olive oil. Lay the bread in the skillet and cook, pressing occasionally with a spatula, until crisp and golden brown, about 90 seconds per side. (If your slices are large, you may have to do this in two batches.) Set the bread aside.
• Heat a Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until it has browned a little and rendered at least a tablespoon of fat, about 4 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it has softened and turned golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, thyme (if using), red pepper flakes, and, if you're using canned beans, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and cook, stirring, for a minute or two.
• Add the slightly wet kale in batches, using tongs to stir the leaves into the onion mixture; wait for one handful of kale to wilt and shrink before adding the next. When the last of the greens has been added, add the beans and broth. Raise the heat and let the beans and greens simmer for a minute or two, just to warm the beans and bring the flavors together. Taste and add more kosher salt if necessary.
• Serve the greens and beans over the toast in wide, shallow bowls, dusted with a little more smoked paprika.

CRISPY BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CANNELLINI BEANS AND GREENS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or pot (at least 4 inches high and large enough to hold the chicken thighs in a single layer; see Cook's Note) over medium-high heat.
• Thoroughly pat dry the chicken thighs and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper, seasoning the skins generously. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the pot and cook, undisturbed, until the skins are dark golden, about 8 minutes. They will sizzle a lot but don't worry and do not move the chicken thighs. If the pot starts to smoke or smells like the chicken is burning, reduce the heat a little (see Cook's Note).
• Flip chicken thighs and cook the other side until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions to pot. Cook, stirring, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and cook, stirring, until the onions and garlic are lightly browned. Add the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot (the wine will help loosen the bits).
• IF USING CANNED BEANS: Return the chicken thighs, skin-side up, to the pot, nestling them between the onions. Add enough chicken stock to cover the onions and garlic and about 3/4 up the chicken thighs, letting the chicken skin sit above the stock. Increase the heat to bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the chicken for 25 minutes.
• Remove 2 to 3 chicken thighs from the pot. Add the beans and stir into the stock. Reposition the chicken thighs in the pot on top of the beans so the chicken skin remains exposed. Return the 2 to 3 chicken thighs to the pot, skin-side up. Add more stock to cover the beans, if necessary. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Carefully stir the greens into the beans, around the chicken, then simmer until the greens are tender, 8 to 10 more minutes.
• IF USING DRIED BEANS: Add the soaked dried beans to the onions and garlic in the pot. Add enough chicken stock to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Increase the heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Return the chicken thighs, skin-side up, to the pot, nestling them in the beans slightly so that the skin isn't submerged. Simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender, adding more stock if the beans start to get too dry, for another 35 minutes. Taste the beans and add salt and/or pepper, to taste. Carefully stir the greens into the beans, around the chicken, then simmer until the greens are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Ladle the beans and greens into shallow bowls then top with the chicken thighs. Add a drizzle of olive oil (for the omega-3 balance!), squeeze of lemon and chopped fresh parsley.

SAUSAGE, GREENS, AND BEANS PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Fry rosemary, turning, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Add sausage to same pot and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.
• Add chickpeas to pot and cook, tossing occasionally and mashing some chickpeas with spoon, until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer about half of chickpeas to plate with sausage. Add wine to pot, bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions.
• Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to pot with chickpeas and add escarole and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, tossing often, until escarole is wilted, pasta is al dente, and sauce is thickened, about 4 minutes. Add another 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, then gradually add 1/2 cup cheese, tossing until melted and dissolved into a luxurious, glossy sauce. Thin with more pasta cooking liquid if needed. Season with pepper, and more salt if needed. Add butter and toss to combine, then mix in reserved sausage and chickpeas.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Crumble rosemary over top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

SAUTEED GREENS WITH CANNELLINI BEANS AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and dried crushed pepper; stir until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add greens by large handfuls; stir just until beginning to wilt before adding more, tossing with tongs to coat with oil.
• Add 1 cup broth, cover, and simmer until greens are just tender, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if dry, 1 to 10 minutes, depending on type of greens. Add beans; simmer uncovered until beans are heated through and liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired; drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and serve.

BEANS AND GREENS

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes more. Add escarole, and stir slowly, allowing it to wilt slightly. Add chicken stock, thyme, and salt; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, and continue to simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the greens are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve warm, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.

BEANS, GREENS AND GARLIC SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onions; cook and stir until the onions are transparent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth, increase the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Stir in the beans and pasta; lower heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente, or 8 to 10 minutes. Add the spinach and stir just until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

BEANS AND GREENS POLENTA BAKE

Steps:

• Pour warm polenta into a large ovenproof skillet or a ceramic baking dish or metal baking pan and spread into an even layer (ideally about 1" thick). Let cool, then cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 week.
• Preheat oven to 500°F. Heat garlic and ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add beans and red pepper flakes (if using), then, working in batches, add kale, letting it wilt slightly after each addition before adding more, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and evenly darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar and salt and cook, still stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup Parmesan.
• Scrape kale mixture over prepared polenta and spread into an even layer. Drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with more Parmesan.
• Transfer skillet to oven and bake until polenta is warmed through and topping is lightly crisped and browned, 8-10 minutes.

SAUTEED COLLARD GREENS AND GARBANZO BEANS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and green onion; cook until onion is soft and whites are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and garlic; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add collard greens; cook until greens wilt and turn bright green, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Transfer to a large serving bowl. Splash vinegar over greens and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately.

ITALIAN GREENS AND BEANS WITH SAUSAGE VARIATION

Steps:

• I process onions and garlic lightly, then saute them in olive oil until they are transparent in a good-sized pot on medium. (I suppose you could chop these things, but why? Also, by "good-sized" I mean a pot that will contain all of the escarole leaves).
• Add sausage and cook thoroughly, but not overly. Turn up the heat a bit.
• When sausage is looking about done, add tomato chopped to your liking. I chop it small.
• Add the cleaned and rinsed escarole. Sometimes Escarole heads can be really big or pretty puny. Since 2 puny heads (~size of a larger grapefruit) = 1 really big head (~size of a football), opt for whatever combination you can get. To clean it, I just take off a bunch of leaves, rinse them under cold water, snap them in half, and throw them in the pot. Don't worry about water getting into the pot. Let the escarole cook all the way down to the point you see the lines at the base of the leaf. You'll see what I mean. Don't undercook it. You'll taste it and it's not a good taste. At this point I rely on the taste test to know when it's done.
• Once escarole is sufficiently wilted, add your canellini beans. Of course, make sure they are sufficiently rinsed then drained. Heat them thoroughly.
• Add chicken stock, more or less depending on how soupy you want it. The broth is so good that you may want to make it soupy, which I did the second time around!
• Let it simmer until the outer layer sheds off of the canellini beans. Serve with some warm crusty bread (I use the whole grain because it's SBD-friendly) and enjoy!

ORECCHIETTE WITH GREENS, GARBANZO BEANS AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and discard. Add the Swiss chard and cook until wilted. In batches, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the pasta, 1/2 of the cheese, and lemon zest. Toss well and thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed.
• Transfer to a large serving bowl and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.

PORK AND BEANS WITH GARLIC AND GREENS

Steps:

• Drain and rinse the soaked beans, then heat the oven to 350.
• Heat the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Add the pork and brown well on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pork from the pot, add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, 1 minute.
• Add the pork, along with the beans, tomatoes, greens, mustard, salt and pepper and enough chicken stock to cover. Stir well and bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Cover and transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the beans are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking every half-hour or so after the first hour and adding water as needed if all the liquid has been absorbed.