Braised White Beans and Greens With Parmesan
Updated Oct. 20, 2024
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- ¼cup olive oil
- 1small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and small-diced
- 1small yellow onion, small-diced
- 2teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or thyme
- 5garlic cloves, minced
- ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 1large or 2 small bunches escarole, kale or Swiss chard, stems removed (10 to 12 ounces)
- 2(15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed
- 2cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1tablespoon lemon juice
- ½cup shredded mozzarella (optional)
- 3tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
- Toasted country bread, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
617 calories; 25 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 1529 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
In a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the fennel, onion and rosemary, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Step 2
Begin adding handfuls of the greens, cooking and stirring until leaves wilt.
- Step 3
Add the white beans, broth and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer, mashing some of the beans with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Step 4
Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, then the mozzarella, if using, and Pecorino Romano. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide among shallow bowls and top with more Pecorino Romano. Serve with toasted bread and a dish of red-pepper flakes on the side.
Private Notes
Comments
Discarding those stalks from the chard is such a miss. Think of chard as two vegetables in one - the stalk and the leaf. Cut them out {fold the leaf in half lengthwise and cut along the length of stalk to free the stalk from the leaf} and dice the stalks, then add to the onions and fennel to sauté.
Gosh. This is about the most delicious bean dish I've made. No: it's the most delicious using canned beans. Living alone I need a few ways to use up leftovers so here are my plans: 1) add more stock and turn into soup, 2) drain some in a sieve overnight in fridge and smash into a ciabatta bun for lunch, 3) reheat and serve with a poached egg and baguette toast points.
Celery or leeks are a good sub for fennel and given the way this recipe is made I'd go with leeks for a more mild flavor profile. Celery is better as a substitute for raw fennel.
Salt as you go! Yes the cheese and the chicken stock are salty, but some salt in the beginning and as you go makes sure the beans are seasoned, too.
I’ve cooked this several times, and it’s one of my new favorite dishes. I have yet to do it with Swiss chard — I’ve done it w either kale or spinach. And all times before today I just used some ground fennel seed rather than a fennel bulb….but today I used an actual fennel bulb for the first time and it was quite an improvement. It’s really one of my favorite dishes now. I’ll dunk garlic bread in it and eat it on its own, or sometimes throw in a sausage or two. Whether it’s a side dish or a main course…It’s just so tasty!
I made this with vegatable broth but think I'd like it with chicken broth.