SERVES 6 – 8
This is an excellent side dish for roasted or grilled poultry and it is also a fine sauce for a sturdy pasta, such as penne. When the beans are tender, mash about half of them to thicken the sauce and then stir in the cooked pasta. Add a little more bean liquid if the mixture is too thick.
2 cups dried cannellini beans
Bouquet garni (leafy celery stalk, thyme sprig, parsley sprig, and bay leaf tied together with twine or string)
1 onion, peeled
1 carrot, peeled
6 cups water or chicken stock
Fine sea salt
1 large bunch chard, kale, spinach, mustard greens, or turnip greens (about 1 pound)
5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil, for serving
Soak the beans overnight. The next day, drain them and put them into a heavy-bottomed pot with the bouquet garni. Add the onion and carrot. Cover with water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface. Cook the beans until very tender, from 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the age of the beans and how long they were soaked. Salt the beans generously once they start to soften. When they’re fully cooked, remove them from the heat.
While the beans are cooking, wash, trim, and chop the greens. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Gently sauté the garlic in the 5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil with the rosemary until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans and about 1 cup of their cooking liquid; simmer about 5 minutes, until some of the beans have crumbled apart.
Add the greens to the beans, and stew together, uncovered, until the greens are wilted and tender. Add more of the bean liquid, if needed, to keep the vegetables moist and a little soupy. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with olive oil drizzled over the surface.
| Nutritional Profile | |
| Serving size: 1½ cups | |
|---|---|
| Calories: | 110 |
| Protein: | 8 g |
| Fiber: | 6 g |
| Fat: | 10 g |
| Saturated fat: | 1 g |
| Sodium: | 340 mg |
| Vitamin A: | 7,804 IU |
| Vitamin C: | 21 mg |
| Vitamin E: | 4 IU |
| Beta-carotene: | 4,498 µg |
| Lutein and zeaxanthin: | 7,932 µg |