Beans and Greens -

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Beans and Greens

Easy beans and greens made with pantry beans and fresh greens. Make it your own with endless variations.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 123kcal

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic , minced, or to taste
½ cup cherry tomatoes , or grape tomatoes, or 1 large chopped tomato, cut in half
1 pound greens of choice , such as spinach, kale, collards, chard, etc.
1 15-ounce can beans of choice , such as chickpeas, cannellini beans, pinto beans, black beans, etc., drained and rinsed
salt and pepper , to taste
¼ cup vegetable broth

In a large skillet over low heat, warm the 3 tablespoons olive oil, then add the 4 cloves garlic and ½ cup cherry tomatoes and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the chopped 1 pound greens of choice and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Now stir in the 1 15-ounce can beans of choice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ¼ cup vegetable broth.
Serve hot with rice, toast, or quinoa.

Use frozen vegetables. Feel free to use frozen spinach or another green here, with no need to defrost it first.
Dried beans are fine, too. I do love dried beans (Rancho Gordo, I'm looking at you), but full disclosure do not always plan ahead to soak and cook them in advance. If you are more organized than me, however, dried beans are perfectly lovely here!
Don't overcook the greens. Add sturdier greens such as kale or chard first, then more delicate greens like spinach toward the end. You want the greens tender but still bright and fresh.
Double, triple, quadruple the recipe. Yes - if you want to feed a larger group or just want leftovers, size up the recipe to serve as many as you need.

Variations

Cannellini beans and kale - This is my favorite and classic iteration! Add a little lemon juice/zest and Parmesan cheese.
Great Northern beans and Swiss or rainbow chard - Basically the recipe outlined in this post but with white beans.
Chickpeas and spinach - A bonus to using spinach is that it cooks faster than other greens, so this will be ready in a second. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top of the pan for extra flavor.
Navy beans and collard greens - Hearty and comforting winter food! Make it into a sort of stew by adding 1 cup or so of vegetable broth and serve with bread.
Pinto beans + Swiss chard or spinach - I love this combo for a quick, homemade taco night. Stir in ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon of paprika, then stuff into tortillas with a squeeze of lime if you have it and a dollop of sour cream.
Black beans and spinach - Another great option for taco night or beans and rice night! Definitely serve this version with mashed or chopped avocado.
Butter beans + escarole — lovely with garlic, olive oil, and lemon
Cannellini beans + broccoli rabe - These bitter greens pair nicely with creamy white beans, garlic, chile flakes, and lemon
Chickpeas, kale, and tomatoes - A nice winter meal, and you can use canned, diced tomatoes.