Braised Beans & Kale
With this pot of braised beans and kale, you can make your weekly meal prep really nourishing! It's simple to cook, quite nutritious, and yields a sizable amount of food for saving and leftovers.
This dish was initially going to be called braised cranberry beans with kale, which is what it is. However, while I was preparing the dish, I realized we can prepare it with almost any bean available: navy beans, cannellini, black beans, chickpeas, pinto or kidney beans.
I usually soak the beans overnight and then boil them until they are soft when batch cooking beans. I enjoy this because it allows me to use the beans in a variety of ways because I haven't seasoned them at all, making them a versatile ingredient to any recipe.
However, there's a lot to be said for cooking them this way, with loads of onion, garlic, and salt: the beans absorb more flavour and end up with a wonderful stewed consistency.
The kale is the second component of this dish. When I add kale to a dish, such as soup, I usually boil it for about 10 minutes, which is wonderful since the greens keep some of their texture. Long-cooking kale has an advantage: it becomes not only beautifully tender but also very sweet. It’s great for anyone who is put off by the bitterness of most leafy greens. You'll have something incredibly aromatic, healthy, and nourishing on your hands once the pot is done.
Braised Beans & Kale
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES
YIELDS: 8 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
1 pound cranberry beans or your favourite bean, such as navy, cannellini, pinto, or kidney
3 teaspoons of Olive Oil
2 chopped white or yellow onions (or 1 very large onion)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 cups of water
2 Bay leaves
1 pound curly or lacinato kale, diced
1 large or 2 small bunches, thick stems removed and diced
To taste, freshly ground black pepper, red wine or sherry vinegar
1-2 tablespoons salt (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Soak the beans overnight or for 8-10 hours. Drain and thoroughly rinse them.
Heat the oil in a large soup or stock pot over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions.
Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are tender and clear, stirring periodically. After adding the garlic, cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Combine the beans, 7 cups of water, and bay leaves into the pot. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
With the lid on, cook for 45 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves from the dish and set them aside. Toss in the greens and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add another cup or two of water if the combination is too thick; you want the beans and greens to be soupy.
Cook for another 30-45 minutes, or until the kale is soft and the beans are tender. Season the beans to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as well as a dash of red wine vinegar, if desired.
Serve. (The soup becomes even more wonderful as leftovers)
