Green Curry Beans and Greens
Updated March 24, 2026
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
- Ready In
- 30 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
1 or 2 serrano chiles, stem removed
2 garlic cloves
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as avocado
½ cup green curry paste (4 ounces)
1 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, preferably gum-free
2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, such as butter or cannellini, drained
1 bunch basil (preferably Thai, if available; about 4 ounces)
1 (5-ounce) container baby spinach
Salt
Cooked white rice or flour tortillas, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
22 grams carbs; 460 milligrams cholesterol; 1845 calories; 52 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 128 grams saturated fat; 198 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1040 milligrams sodium; 8 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
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.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat a deep 12-inch cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium while you mince the serrano chile (seeds included), garlic and ginger together to make a chunky paste.
- Step 2
Add the oil to the skillet along with the serrano, garlic and ginger and the curry paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste is very fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the coconut milk, then fill the coconut milk can with water and pour it into the skillet. Add the beans and turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, mash half of the beans and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the curry thickens slightly, about 15 minutes.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, pluck the basil leaves off of the stems. Stack half of the leaves and thinly slice into ribbons, leaving the rest whole.
- Step 5
Stir the spinach and whole basil leaves into the skillet and simmer until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste for salt.
- Step 6
Ladle into bowls over rice or on a flour tortilla like a burrito, and serve topped with basil ribbons.
Private Notes
Comments
Delicious! Made it as is, no substitutions. Used 2 Serranos as we like "hot" and it was. I only had 2 oz of Thai basil leaves which was perfect. I used 1 oz in the dish and less than 1 oz as the garnish. Also, it read more as a soup using the full can of water so next time I'll try ½ a can of water for more of a stew.
So good! I skipped the chiles because my curry paste is pretty spicy. Also, I didn’t add a can of water and I used an immersion blender to blend one of the cans of beans before adding it. The texture turned out a good thickness.
I agree with the suggestion to use less water, even with half a can it was quite liquidy. I would also recommend using less than 1/2 cup of curry paste if yours is strong. I used Aroy-D and it was almost too much. I wish I had some fresh lime to squeeze over it too!
07/01/2026 - For those commenting about the calories - it appears to be the total for the whole recipe plus one serving of rice. My total for the recipe is 1,670 which is 417.5 per serving. 1 cup serving of rice is roughly an additional 200 calories. I hope this helps!
Definitely add less water! I added a little over half a can of wanter in total. And, YES, to the citrus finish! I used a squeeze of lemon and pinched salt on top. Amazing dish!
So good! Used one serrano. When I used two, it was too spicy for me. My wife liked it with two serrano chiles. Like others, used a half a can of water. Makes for a richer, thicker finish. After mashing half the beans, there didn't seem to be enough beans, so I added an extra can of drained cannellini beans. Perfect. When I used coconut oil instead of avocado oil, it really punched up the flavor of the final product.