This White Beans and Greens is a delicious easy vegetarian main course or side dish. The beans are cooked down until very tender with your favorite sturdy green, like kale. Add caramelized shallots and mushrooms on top, plus lemon juice and a tahini sauce for a bite that’s full of delicious flavor!
When it comes to making a hearty vegetarian dish, beans are one of the first ingredients I turn to. They are a crowd-pleaser as well as a great source of protein and fiber. I love to pair rich beans with cooked greens that are almost braised until tender so they melt in your mouth.
Lacinato kale happens to be my choice of greens for this recipe, but any sturdy green you find at the store or the farmers’ market will do. The best part are the roasted veggies to top. These add a ‘meaty’ quality to the recipe as well as loads of flavor. The shallots become sweetly caramelized while the mushrooms are roasted until golden brown with richness.
If you love a hearty vegetarian dish that can be either a main course or a side dish, be sure to also try my Miso Ginger Mushroom Soup or Lemon Garlic Broccoli and Braised White Beans.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Simple ingredients with big flavor. We love to shop our local farmers’ market for this greens and beans recipe. Lacinato kale is our preferred green, but Swiss chard and spinach work nicely as well.
- Hearty vegetarian main course or side dish. Whether you serve this as a main or a side dish, it pairs with any other proteins and side dishes to make a meal full of flavor.
- Easy to customize with other vegetables. Roasted shallots and mushrooms add nice earthy flavors and textures, but you can customize with other vegetables too. We love using yellow or red onion or bell peppers.
Ingredients
Beans and Greens:
- Olive oil: Cooking oil for the recipe. Be sure to buy a high quality brand.
- Shallots: Sweeter than an onion and full of so much flavor.
- Baby bella mushrooms: Buy the pre-sliced mushrooms to save on time.
- Leeks: Also a richer and tastier version of an onion in our opinion.
- Red chili flakes: Adds spiciness to every bite.
- Kale or any sturdy greens: I like lacinato kale best, be sure to remove the stem and then tear into pieces. Swiss chard is another delicious option too.
- Lemon: Adds brightness to all of the ingredients.
- Cannellini: We love cannellini beans the best or any white bean in general for this recipe to pair with the kale.
Tahini Sauce:
- Tahini: Sesame seed paste that is a great nutty, rich, and warm flavored base to any sauce.
- Lemon: The juice pairs wonderfully with tahini to make the flavors even more intense.
- Olive oil: Adds a buttery texture to the sauce.
How to Make White Beans and Greens
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Evenly spread the shallots and mushrooms on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown and caramelized.
- In a large Dutch oven add another tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. Cook for 10 minutes until softened.
- Add the kale and cook for another 10 minutes until softened and tender. Season with additional salt and pepper.
- Add the beans, lemon zest and juice, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until warmed through.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl make the tahini sauce. Combine the tahini with lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt. Add a tablespoon or two of warm water as needed to thin to desired consistency.
- Add the roasted shallots and mushrooms over the greens and beans. Drizzle over the greens and beans to finish.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to stem your leafy greens like kale. You can leave the stems in Swiss chard, but with kale they are chewy so you will want to remove them and discard.
- Add liquid if it seems too dry. We like to add a splash of veggie stock or water.
- Swap the lemon for other citrus. Both lime or orange would be delicious in this dish.
- Look for a deep golden brown caramelization on the veggies. With the mushrooms and shallots you want them to be deeply golden, this creates more flavor in the greens and beans.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop for a few minutes until warmed through.
We don’t recommend freezing this dish as it will change the texture of the greens once they thaw.
More Easy Main Course Recipes
- Vegetable Ribbon Pasta
- Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash
- Grain Bowl with Carrot Ginger Dressing
- Chickpea Coconut Stew
White Beans and Greens with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 to 5 shallots
- 1 8 ounce container baby bella mushrooms
- 2 leeks
- pinch Red chili flakes
- 1 bunch kale or any sturdy greens stemmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 3 cups white beans I like cannellini, drained and rinsed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Tahini sauce
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Evenly spread the shallots and mushrooms on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown and caramelized.
- In a large Dutch oven add another tablespoon of olive oil and add sliced leeks heat over medium high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. Cook for 10 minutes until softened.
- Add the kale and cook for another 10 minutes until softened and tender. Season with additional salt and pepper.
- Add the beans, lemon zest and juice, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until warmed through.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl make the tahini sauce. Combine the tahini with lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt. Add a tablespoon or two of warm water as needed to thin to desired consistency.
- Add the roasted shallots and mushrooms over the greens and beans. Drizzle over the greens and beans to finish.
Step #2 seems to be missing an ingredient – perhaps the leeks?
missing the leeks! thank you!