The combination of saucy white beans with dark Swiss chard is a hearty meal that you'll put on repeat quickly! You can use any type of beans and any type of leafy green vegetable. My Beans and Greens version here uses canned white beans with onions, garlic, white wine and fresh thyme. I always have some Swiss chard leaves in the garden, but you can use baby spinach from the bag or even frozen spinach; make it your own.
The magic here in this beans and green recipe is the sauce that is made right in the pan as everything cooks. The base of the sauce is sauteed onions in olive oil with a bundle of fresh thyme, lots of freshly minced garlic and a quick deglaze of white wine. Beyond that, we're adding two cans of white beans, Swiss chard leaves, chicken broth, and finishing with Pecorino Romano cheese.
This Southern Italian dish is a lesson in how simple ingredients come together into something hearty and comforting. Plus, the longer this dish sits, the better it tastes. You can make a big pot of this at the beginning of the week, and you will be delighted every time you open your lunch box and find it there.
There's just something about leafy greens coated in a silky sauce with white beans, garlic and cheese. The beans brings creaminess without any cream, and we love them for their protein. (Don't we love all beans around here?)
Ingredients for Beans and Greens
- Olive Oil. One quarter cup of olive oil might sound like a lot, but it's the foundation of the sauce. Olive oil is rich and gives everything a silkiness, similar to the way butter finishes other cooking sauces.
- Onion. One medium yellow or white onion, finely diced.
- Thyme. A handful of fresh thyme is about 20 sprigs, but if you don't have fresh, you can use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme leaves.
- Garlic. Six cloves of garlic might seem like a lot, but just trust me here!
- Swiss chard leaves. One small bunch of Swiss chard is about 6-7 leaves that are slightly larger than your hand. You can use spinach, baby spinach, escarole, endive, kale, or any type of green here you have on hand.
- White Wine. Dry white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc. If you don't have wine, replace it with extra chicken broth and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to mimic the acidity of wine.
- Beans. We're using two 15-ounce cans of cannellini beans that have been drained and rinsed.
- Chicken Stock. You may use vegetable broth to keep this recipe vegan (and omit the cheese at the end), but my first choice is a rich homemade chicken stock for this dish. I make chicken stock in my instant pot sometimes.
- Cheese. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano is so good to finish this dish. I usually reach for Pecorino over Parmesan because it's slightly saltier.
How to Make the Best Beans and Greens
In a medium to large-sized dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and saute while stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes, just until the onions start to turn golden brown around the edges. Then, add the thyme and garlic, and saute for 30 seconds.
Add the bite-size pieces of the Swiss chard to the pot, and saute until it starts to wilt, about 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat slightly and add the wine to deglaze the pan, and stir until it reduces by about half.
Add the rinsed and drained cannellini beans, chicken broth, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, just to combine the flavors.
When the greens are tender, turn off the heat, and stir in the Pecorino Romano cheese. Ladle into 4 bowls, and serve with extra olive oil drizzled on top and more Pecorino Romano or crushed red pepper flakes for serving.
Recipe Substitutions
- Wine - If you don't like to cook with wine (or don't have any open at the moment), use an extra ¼ cup of chicken broth. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar to the broth to mimic to acidity of wine.
- Beans - My first choice for this recipe is white beans, but you can use chickpeas or a cooked borlotti beans.
- Greens - Beans and greens is so adaptable and willing to accept any green you want to add. I have Swiss chard in my garden, so that's what I always use, but you can use spinach, baby spinach from the bag, kale, escarole, endive, chicory, frisée, or any leafy green that you want!
- Broth - A rich homemade chicken stock brings the absolute most flavor to this dish, but you can use vegetable broth to keep it vegan, if you need to. In that case, omit the Pecorino cheese on top and opt for a squeeze of fresh lemon juice instead.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The ingredients in this greens and beans recipe are fully Italian and would have been found in the original recipe. Plenty of olive oil, dry white wine, creamy beans, and dark greens are hallmarks of good Italian recipes.
Yes, you can absolutely use kale to make this a white beans and kale dish. It's super yummy! Add extra broth to make it a soup. Beans and greens is so adaptable.
Yes, you know that greens are good for you and that we all need to be eating them every day! And beans are high in protein and a powerful source of antioxidants in a plant-power package.
Personally, I do not like the texture of cooked beans that have been frozen and defrosted. However, the sauce in this dish really prevents a lot of freezer damage issues. As long as the beans and greens are defrosted fully and heated up gently, the beans will not split and make a mess.
Beans and Greens
Braised white beans with Swiss chard or kale make a hearty dish.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling before serving
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 20 sprigs fresh thyme (1 small bundle)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small bunch of Swiss chard (about 6-7 leaves), cleaned and stems removed and chopped into 3-4 inch pieces
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- In a medium to large-sized dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion and saute while stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes, just until a few of the onions start to turn golden brown around the edges.
- Add the thyme and garlic, and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the bite-size pieces of the Swiss chard to the pot, and saute until it starts to wilt, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the wine to deglaze the pan, and stir until it reduces by about half.
- Add the rinsed and drained cannellini beans, chicken broth, salt and pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, just to combine the flavors.
Turn off the heat, and stir in the Pecorino Romano cheese. - Ladle into 4 bowls, and serve with extra olive oil drizzled on top and more Pecorino Romano for serving.
Notes
Thyme - If you don't have fresh thyme sprigs, use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme leaves. Do not use ground thyme--it is too strong.
Greens - This dish is so adaptable and willing to accept any green you want to add. I have Swiss chard in my garden, so that's what I always use, but you can use spinach, baby spinach from the bag, kale, escarole, endive, chicory, frisée, or any leafy green that you want!
Wine - If you don't like to cook with wine, use an extra ¼ cup of chicken broth. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar to the broth to mimic to acidity of wine.
Beans - My first choice for this recipe is white beans, but you can use chickpeas or a cooked borlotti beans.
Broth - A rich homemade chicken stock brings the absolute most flavor to this dish, but you can use vegetable broth to keep it vegan, if you need to. In that case, omit the Pecorino cheese on top and opt for a squeeze of fresh lemon juice instead.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 1320mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 11gSugar: 3gProtein: 18g
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