Norwood CSA Food Co-op: Beans and Greens

Want a recipe that calls for lots of greens and takes no more than 10 minutes to throw together? This magical “beans and greens” recipe is highly versatile, and has become my #1 go-to meal. For the base of this recipe, you’ll need some kind of white bean (small white beans or chickpeas are my favorites). I recommend buying dried beans in bulk, rather than using canned. To make dried beans, you’ll have to do a little planning ahead.

Put your desired amount of dried beans in a container with a lid. Make sure the beans fill the container about half way.
Add water to the container until it’s full to the top.
Put the lid on it and store it in the fridge overnight. Your beans will soak up the water and expand quite a bit, which is why you left some room in the container.
The next day, drain the beans, fill a pot with water, and add the drained beans to the pot.
Lightly boil the beans (with the lid on at an angle) for 30-45 minutes. Be careful!! They WILL boil over! Adjust the temperature and the angle of the lid as needed.
Taste the beans after 30 minutes to see if they’re soft enough to your liking. If not, boil them a bit more. Drain the beans.

Now for the actual recipe: The second half consists of greens. Spinach, Swiss chard, kale, beet tops, radish tops, amaranth or any other sort of leafy green will do. Feel free to use a combination! Slice them into 1 inch strips, or just make sure they’re all evenly sized. You’re going to want to use quite a bit of the greens, since they will shrink when cooked. It’s basically a 2:1 ratio of greens to beans.

Warm up a pan with a little bit of oil.
This is a good time to add diced onion, spring onion, leeks, garlic, and/or garlic scapes. Let these cook for a couple of minutes, but don’t let them get brown or crispy yet.
Add your drained beans. Cook these for a few minutes as well, until you notice some brown and crispy bits on the outside of the beans.
Add your spices: paprika or cumin are my go-tos. Also add some salt at this point.
Add your greens, and a little bit of oil if the pan is looking dry. Cook until the greens are wilted.
Serve warm, with an optional (but very much appreciated) egg over easy on top. Also optional: a squeeze of lemon juice at the end. I’ve also been eating this on toast with a scoop of ricotta. So many options! This heats up well the next day in a pan with just a bit of oil.

Note: Some recipes will call for you to blanch the greens in salted, boiling water for 1-2 minutes and drain before adding it to the recipe. I’ve done it both ways, but typically use the method above because it calls for less pots, less heat, and less prep. Both methods are very tasty!