Lemony Beans and Greens
This cozy bean recipe is bright with lemon, savory with herbs, and loaded with vegetables. Serve it on its own, spooned over toast, or topped with a poached egg.
A Quick Note on Beans
There’s a time and place for both dried and canned beans. Canned is convenient, but dried beans are worth the extra (mostly passive) effort. They have a firmer, meatier texture and soak up the flavors of whatever you cook them with. Because they’re not sitting in salty liquid, you also get more control over the seasoning, making it easier to get the flavor just right.
To prepare dried beans:
Soak them in water anywhere from 2–12 hours, as it reduces cook time and makes texture more consistent. The longer you soak the beans, the less you’ll need to cook them.
Forgot to soak? Bring them to a boil, remove from heat, and let them sit for 1 hour before cooking.
Cook time is usually around an hour, but most of that is hands-off.
Lemony Greens & Beans Recipe
Ingredients:
10 oz. dried beans, soaked overnight with a teaspoon of salt.
Superfood Blend, two handfuls roughly chopped
4-8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 lemon (zest + juice)
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
A few sprigs of thyme and oregano
Parmesan cheese for garnish. Save the rind to use when cooking!
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
To prepare beans, cover beans them with water (there should be a few inches of water above the beans because they will expand). Add a teaspoon of salt and leave to soak for 2-6 hours. The longer they soak the less time they will need to cook.
After beans have soaked:
Heat a large pot on medium. Add 1/4 cup olive oil then add your onion, carrots, and celery.
After about 2 minutes, add in the chopped garlic and continue sweating your veggies for about 5 minutes. You want the onions to turn translucent and the carrots and celery to just start cooking, but not turn brown.
Deglaze by pouring in your white wine. Turn stove to low and cook the alcohol off by letting it simmer and reduce for 4–5 minutes.
Strain soaked beans and add them to a pot with 4 cups stock, parmesan rind, and herbs.
Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for an hour or more. Add more stock as needed to keep the beans covered and fully cook them.
Once finished, remove the herb stems and parmesan rind (it’s okay if it melted into the beans). Add 1 TBSP salt, some pepper, lemon zest and juice, and wilt your greens by stirring them in with the hot beans.
Serve in a bowl. Use a peeler or grater to garnish with extra parmesan.
Serving alongside a protein will make this a complete meal but either way, soaking up the liquid with a big chunk of crusty bread feels like a non-negotiable!
Area 2 Farms for Locals
Your food should be equally accessible and nutritious. Which is where we come in. At Area 2 Farms, we grow fresh organic produce within 10 miles of you.
