Greens and Beans

This Greens and Beans recipe is an easy side dish idea with kale and spinach in a savory sauce with white beans and bacon! BONUS: Italian sausage quickly transforms this into a main course!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 450kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

5 strips bacon drippings reserved. See notes.
½ cup dry white wine see notes
1 small yellow onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 ½ cups chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans. (Each can =15.5 oz.) Drained. See notes.
4 packed cups kale roughly chopped
3 packed cups spinach
1 lemon cut into wedges
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated

Seasonings

¾ teaspoon EACH: parsley, basil, oregano, onion powder, mustard powder
¼ teaspoon EACH: seasoned salt, pepper
⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pinch red pepper flakes

For Serving

Freshly Cracked Pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over low heat. While the bacon cooks, measure out remaining ingredients. Once cooked, set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Chop once cooled and reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings. (Butter can be used instead of drippings if needed)
Add the wine to the skillet over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bacon remnants from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
Add the bacon drippings and onions to the skillet and soften for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the seasonings and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the beans and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Optional: Mash some of the beans into the broth to thicken the sauce.
Add the kale and cover the skillet. Cook until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach. Cover and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until wilted.
Reduce heat to low and squeeze 2 wedges of fresh lemon over the dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and chopped bacon.
Remove from heat and top with freshly cracked pepper. Serve with remaining lemon wedges.

Notes

Pro Tips:

Bacon: The bacon and white wine are optional and are used to develop layers of flavor in this dish. The bacon also adds a pop of color and crunchy texture on top. Pancetta is another great choice.
Other Proteins: Sausage or chicken can be used instead of bacon to make this a main course!
Wine: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc are perfect wine choices in this dish. Chicken broth can be used to deglaze the skillet if you don’t cook with wine.
Beans: I use Cannellini (White Kidney Beans) for this recipe, but you can use a variety of different kinds of white beans, including White Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans.
All kale or all spinach can be used in this recipe instead of a combination of both. Note that spinach wilts a little more quickly and won't reheat quite as well as kale, especially if frozen.
This is a great side dish to serve with Pan Fried Chicken or Pork Chops!

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Kale in particular holds up well when frozen.

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition