Creamy Italian White Beans with Kale
Recipe Type: Entree
Author:
Serves 2-3 as a main dish, with a grain/bread accompaniment and a green salad. Garnish options: Additional fresh basil, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and pine nuts. Or a dollop of pesto, a sprinkle of parsley, and a few halved cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 cans white canellini beans (drain off half, but not all of the liquid)
- 2 TB olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 1-2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 hearty sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1/2 bunch kale, any variety (de-stemmed and roughly chopped)
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 3-4 drops organic lemon essential oil, optional. (Alternately, a squeeze of lemon)
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed skillet, heat olive oil. Saute onions and celery in oil until they begin to be translucent. Next, add crushed garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the partially drained beans and the sprigs of rosemary and lower heat to a simmer. Cover skillet with a lid. After 5-10 min. or so, white beans should be beginning to break up a bit and release their starch. At this point, add the broth and the chopped kale. After a quick stir, cover the pot with a lid to steam/sauté the kale until just tender. This should only take a few minutes. Do not overcook the kale- it can become bitter! Remove lid and add a handful or two of roughly chopped basil, 3-4 drops of lemon oil (or that squeeze of lemon!), and several generous turns of fresh ground pepper. Stir well, serve and Enjoy!