Greens and Beans with Garlicky Toast
Tender beans and greens pair with caramelized onions, savoury bacon, sliced garlic, smoked paprika, and a hint of spice, are stewed up in pan juices in one single pot are then served over indulgently thick slices of crunchy-edged, pan toasted garlic bread.Inspired by my Grandma Shaffer's recipe and Epicurious.
Ingredients
- 4 slices homemade or purchased crusty bread 1-inch thick
- 3 tablespoons garlic olive oil or 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil mixed with a minced clove of garlic
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 onions peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika plus extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 12 ounces collard greens or escarole, swiss chard, kale, or spinach, stems removed and finely chopped. Leaves torn into 3 to 4 inch sized pieces washed, and drained but not dried.
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) Cannellini or Great Northern Beans , drained and rinsed, or just about 4 cups of home-cooked beans, drained.
- 2 cups chicken stock plus extra if you use pre-washed, dry greens
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar or red wine or white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar
optional
- 4 fried eggs
Instructions
To Prepare the Garlic Toast
- Place your Dutch oven, braiser, or skillet over medium high heat. Brush both sides of your bread slices with the garlic oil. Toast in the hot pan for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown with some charred bits. Remove to a plate.
To Prepare the Beans and Greens
- Return the pan to medium high heat and add in the cut up bacon strips. Fry, stirring frequently, until the bacon is beginning to crisp and has rendered at least 1 1/2 tablespoons of fat, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the onions (and chopped greens stems, if using). Fry for about 4 more minutes, or until the onions are translucent, tender, and starting to turn golden.
- Add in the sliced garlic, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, and dried thyme. Stir for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Add about 1/3 of the greens and use tongs or two wooden spoons to toss with the hot onion and bacon mixture until the greens wilt, turn bright, and shrink a bit. (If you're starting with dry greens, see Cook's Notes). Repeat this until all of the greens are incorporated into the pan.
- Add the chicken stock and vinegar, stir, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the greens and stems reach your desired level of tenderness; for us, that's about 5 minutes.
- Finally, add the drained and rinsed beans to the mixture and toss. Continue cooking just until the beans are heated through.
To Serve
- Place one piece of garlic toast in a bowl, top with a generous scoop of beans, greens, and broth. If desired, top each serving with a fried egg and a dusting of smoked paprika.
Nutrition
Calories: 731kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 31gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 1876mgPotassium: 631mgFiber: 16gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 4935IUVitamin C: 36.1mgCalcium: 396mgIron: 7.2mg
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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