Beans & Greens

This year we've been blessed with a nice, cool spring. The greens are abundant and just begging to be turned into a comforting meal. As the weather starts to warm up I wanted to include one more cozy recipe before leaning on low or no cook dishes that will keep our kitchens cool.

A classic pot of greens and beans doesn't need to be complicated or serious. Choose your favorite greens, choose your favorite beans... you're basically done. You can bump up the flavor and nutrition on this recipe cooking with bone broth or adding protein that suits you. Enjoy it as a main dish, or as a side. Flexibility is the name of the game with this one. 

Ingredients

1 bunch of greens (kale, collards, swiss chard etc)
1 can drained or 2 cups of cooked beans (cannellini, navy, great northern, etc)
1/4 cup vegetable stock or bone broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (sherry, apple cidar, etc)
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
salt & pepper
optional: red pepper flakes/parmesan cheese

Method of Preparation: 

1. Rinse the greens and remove the stems. Tear leaves into bite sized pieces and chop the stems if using something tender like swiss chard. 

2. Add olive oil to a deep pan and heat on medium before adding the sliced garlic. Cook until fragrant and then remove once browned slightly. If using tender stems, add to the same pan and cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.

3. Add the torn leaves and cook down until wilted. Add the remaining ingredients- vinegar, stock, cooked beans, and red pepper flakes if you like some heat. 

​4. Turn down the burner and simmer on low until the liquid is absorbed. Add back the cooked garlic if you'd like and top with optional parmesan cheese.