I pretty much always know what I’m having for lunch, especially right now, with this chilly spring weather and infrequent grocery trips. Greens and beans! This meal never gets boring because I change up a lot of things: the kinds of greens and beans I use, how I cook them, what other components I include or leave out, etc. It’s a hearty, nutritious, warming lunch that comes together quickly and doesn’t weigh me down for the rest of the day. I also love that it’s a no-brainer on busy days. Although there’s no exact recipe for this, I thought I’d explain my method here, and maybe you’ll try and love it as much as I do.
One of my New Year food resolutions was to cook a pot of beans every week and it’s been the best thing following through with it. Basically I cook the beans with plenty of water and aromatics, so that at the end I don’t just have a pot of delicious beans but also a flavorful broth. At lunch time, I reheat a portion of the brothy beans and quickly cook up some greens with garlic, olive oil, and pepper. I serve the greens on top of the brothy beans simply as is, or with any other toppings I feel like/have on hand, and that’s it. This lunch is also delicious served with a slice of sourdough, which I’ve been baking weekly. I use the Tartine country bread recipe, and it has been the most exciting learning experience I’ve had in a while.
- 2 cups dried beans of choice
- sea salt
- olive oil
- aromatics of choice (see below)
- greens of choice - stemmed, torn or sliced if necessary
- garlic
- freshly ground black pepper/red pepper flakes
- smashed garlic cloves
- halved onion/other broth vegetables or their scraps like celery, carrots, leeks, etc.
- hot peppers
- herbs (fresh or dried)
- lemon zest
- bay leaves
- whole peppercorns/other spices
- freshly ground black pepper
- red pepper flakes
- fresh herbs
- fermented vegetables like sauerkraut/kimchi
- toasted seeds/nuts
- avocado
- splash of olive oil
- hot sauce or harissa
- Prepare the brothy beans. Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with plenty of water. Let soak overnight or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse very well. Add the beans to a soup pot, along with a generous amount of salt, a splash of olive oil, and any aromatics of choice. Cover with plenty of water, so that the beans are covered by at least 2". Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes to an hour, or until the beans are tender and creamy. Let cool. Discard any large pieces of aromatics (I usually leave in the garlic and peppercorns). Distribute the beans among jars together with their broth and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- To make the greens and beans lunch, start heating up a portion of the beans and their broth in a small pot over medium-low heat. Heat a saute pan over medium heat for cooking the greens. Wash the greens you'll be using and do not dry (if your greens are already pre-washed and dried, add a splash of water to the pan in the next step for steaming). Put the greens in the heated pan, cover, and let steam over low heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the greens are beginning to soften and are bright green in color. Remove the lid from the pan and grate a whole clove of garlic right into the pan on a microplane (or add minced). Season the greens with salt, freshly ground black pepper and/or red pepper flakes, and add a splash of olive oil. Stir the greens to coat, and continue cooking until they are soft enough to your liking.
- Transfer the beans and broth you've been heating up to a bowl, followed by the cooked greens. Add any toppings of choice and enjoy! You can also serve the beans over any grain of choice or with bread for an even more substantial meal.
Amy says
Oh, yeah – this is my life, too. So delicious and never gets old.
Anya says
So true!!
Lyn says
Loved this combination!
Anya says
So glad!!