Every day, around 4pm, my husband and I start texting about dinner. If there aren’t any leftovers or a previously thought-through dinner plan, my most common proposition is ‘greens and beans?’ Those two are such staples and always leave us feeling really nourished. I have a million variations on the subject that I can throw together super quickly. Sometimes, for a quick and lazy lunch, I’ll just crisp up cooked chickpeas and kale in a pan with lots of salt and pepper and be totally satisfied. I always push off from there for our dinners, then add more vegetables, a sauce, a grain, crunchy toppings, etc. etc. I vary the kinds of greens and beans I use depending on season and mood, and what’s on hand. These one pot creamed beans and greens are my cozy, wintery version of our staple meal, and they definitely hit the spot every single time.
The beans of choice here are white beans, since they are extra creamy in texture and go so well with lemon and pepper – both key ingredients. The green of choice is chard. I kind of think chard doesn’t get enough love? I love it because it wilts quickly, usually costs less than kale, and the stems are totally edible. The secret with the stems is cooking them first until they soften. Usually they’ll end up melting into a dish and become almost indistinguishable, but will still contribute some substance and extra plant power. If you use rainbow chard, the stems will give some of their color to whatever you’re cooking, so that’s fun as well.
Chili oil is the component that takes this meal to that extra special place. I don’t recommend skipping it. We just quickly crisp up some red pepper flakes in olive oil and let it infuse while making the meal. A generous drizzle of that will really make everything sing.
Hope you’re enjoying this sometimes crazy pre-holiday time! Let’s all remember to be nice to ourselves and stay warm and nourished. Sending you lots of love.
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- pinch of sea salt
- avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 1 medium-large bunch of chard - stems thinly sliced, leaves chopped
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 5 cloves of garlic - minced
- a few 1" strips of lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 2 15 oz cans or 3½ cups cooked white beans
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves (optional)
- 1¼ cup oat milk or cashew milk
- juice from 1 lemon
- Combine the oil and red pepper flakes in a saucepan over medium heat, cook, swirling, for 3-4 minutes until the pepper flakes are crispy. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside to infuse while making the beans and greens.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Add the onion and chard stems, along with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper, and sauté for 10 minutes, or until the chard stems are very soft. Add the garlic and lemon zest, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, vegetable broth, bay leaves, if using, and another pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, establish a simmer and let simmer and reduce, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and lemon zest strips (this should be easy, since they should float up to the top).
- Add the chard leaves and cover the pot for a few minutes for the leaves to wilt. Remove the lid and stir in the wilted leaves. Add the milk and bring everything back up to a boil, then turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if needed. Serve warm, drizzled with the chili oil (recipe above).
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I made this last week. Simple and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it Heather!
This was so yummy! Do you know if it freezes well?
Hi Annemarie,
So glad you enjoyed it! I think everything would freeze well except the chard leaves. In my experience, they get kind of soggy and lifeless after they’re defrosted. I would suggest adding fresh chard after defrosting and reheating.
This was soo good! Made a double batch off the get-go because winter!
Amazing! So glad you loved it and stocked up on a double batch :)
This is very simple and straightforward, and was a hit with my sometimes picky toddler (minus the chili oil – which the adults loved)! I think it’s a lot more flavorful on day two, which is of course true with many soups. I felt it needed a little more oomph so I added some miso paste. Next time I think I’d also add some white wine at end of onion and chard stem cooking time as well as perhaps some thyme.
Hi Elizabeth,
Toddler approved! That’s amazing. Love all your additions – this dish is endlessly customizable.
Tried the recipe last night and it was awesome I did not miss the meat.
Hi Britney,
So glad you liked it!
I’ve never comment on a recipe before but I had to comment now! I was a bit sceptical but myself and my husband loved this! We used Sichuan chilli oil instead which added a little something to it but I’m a big fan! Thanks
Hi Holly,
So glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Sichuan oil sounds like such a good addition.
Hi – I’ve pinned this twice (lol) so it’s time to try!! I received some robust dandelion greens in my CSA and I keep moving them around because i’m not sure what to do with them. I’m not sure if you have any basis to answer this – but do you think they would work in place of chard? my CSA recommended you could braise them so i’m thinking it will work but curious if you have any advice. Thank you! Love your site & recipes!
Hi! Thanks so much for the kind words! I think that dandelion greens could technically work, but I’m a little worried about their bitterness. Chard is much milder than dandelion usually, so it blends into this dish pretty well. That being said, the creaminess from the milk might offset any bitterness pretty well. Sorry I don’t have a more definitive answer. Please let us know how it goes if you try it.
I make this at least twice a month. Often I’ll sub leeks for the onion, but pretty much follow it to a T otherwise. The chili oil, oat milk and lemon really elevate this dish. Thank you : )
Hi Teresa,
Thank you so much for this note! So glad this is a staple for you :)
I just made this with some substitutions based on what I already had at home – I used chick peas and lacinato kale and added some truffle oil into my chili oil. Loved it! So simple to make and delicious. Will make again :)
Hi Devon,
So glad you enjoyed it! Love hearing about your substitutions/additions as well.
Wow this dish was amazing! I’ve seen chard at the market but never used it. This recipe was the perfect fit for a cold snowy night. I took the leftovers for my lunch on a recent ski outing. My friends had so-so cafeteria food but my lunch had a lot of eyes on it! The dining area smelled wonderful after I microwaved it, with several strangers asking me what I was making lol. Thank you for so many amazing recipes!
Hello,
What a wonderful story, so glad you enjoyed the recipe :)