Greens and Beans

This healthy mix of Greens and Beans is served with a savory white wine sauce, a squeeze of fresh lemon, Parmesan cheese, crispy bacon, and freshly cracked pepper! It’s a classic side dish that pairs well with nearly anything!

Be sure to serve this with a side of my crusty No Knead Bread to help sop up that delicious sauce!

Greens and Beans

There’s something so satisfying about a side of protein-packed beans with a hearty mix of greens. The garlicky, brothy, well-seasoned sauce has a combination of flavors that are well rounded and complete, it’s truly hard to put your fork down!

It’s easy to transform this into a meal instead of a side dish as well, especially if you add some chicken or sausage to the mix, which is easily done.

I also have a great collection of proteins that pair perfectly with this, be sure to check that out below, along with my PRO tips, don’t miss those! 

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Cook the bacon and set aside. Chop once cooled. Deglaze the skillet with white wine and reduce by half.

Add bacon drippings and onions. Soften, then add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add seasonings and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Add white beans and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add kale, cover, and let wilt.

Add spinach, cover, and let wilt. Stir to combine. Top with freshly squeezed lemon, grated Parmesan cheese, and chopped bacon. Serve with freshly cracked pepper and extra lemon wedges.

Pro Tips

• Bacon: The bacon and white wine are optional and are used to develop layers of flavor in this dish. The bacon also adds a pop of color and crunchy texture on top. Pancetta is another great choice.
• Other Proteins: Sausage or chicken can be used instead of bacon to make this a main course!
• Wine: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc are perfect wine choices in this dish. Chicken broth can be used to deglaze the skillet if you don’t cook with wine.
• Beans: I use Cannellini (White Kidney Beans) for this recipe, but you can use a variety of different kinds of white beans, including White Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans.
• All kale or all spinach can be used in this recipe instead of a combination of both. Note that spinach wilts a little more quickly and won’t reheat quite as well as kale, especially if frozen.
• This is a great side dish to serve with Pan Fried Chicken or Pork Chops!

Storage

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Kale in particular holds up well when frozen.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

• Large/Wide Skillet– Similar to the one pictured in this recipe.
• Garlic Twister– Fresh garlic in this recipe is better than jarred.
• Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
• Pinch Bowls– for measuring out seasonings ahead of time.

What to Serve with Beans and Greens

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Greens and Beans

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

5 from 3 ratings

Servings: 4 people

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This Greens and Beans recipe is an easy side dish idea with kale and spinach in a savory sauce with white beans and bacon! BONUS: Italian sausage quickly transforms this into a main course!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• ▢ 5 strips bacon, drippings reserved. See notes.
• ▢ ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion, diced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 ½ cups chicken broth
• ▢ 2 cans cannellini beans. (Each can =15.5 oz.) , Drained. See notes.
• ▢ 4 packed cups kale, roughly chopped
• ▢ 3 packed cups spinach
• ▢ 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• ▢ 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Seasonings

• ▢ ¾ teaspoon EACH: parsley, basil, oregano, onion powder, mustard powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon EACH: seasoned salt, pepper
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 pinch red pepper flakes

For Serving

• ▢ Freshly Cracked Pepper

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Instructions

• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over low heat. While the bacon cooks, measure out remaining ingredients. Once cooked, set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Chop once cooled and reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings. (Butter can be used instead of drippings if needed)
• Add the wine to the skillet over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bacon remnants from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
• Add the bacon drippings and onions to the skillet and soften for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the seasonings and chicken broth.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the beans and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Optional: Mash some of the beans into the broth to thicken the sauce.
• Add the kale and cover the skillet. Cook until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach. Cover and cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until wilted.
• Reduce heat to low and squeeze 2 wedges of fresh lemon over the dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and chopped bacon.
• Remove from heat and top with freshly cracked pepper. Serve with remaining lemon wedges.

Notes

Pro Tips:

• Bacon: The bacon and white wine are optional and are used to develop layers of flavor in this dish. The bacon also adds a pop of color and crunchy texture on top. Pancetta is another great choice.
• Other Proteins: Sausage or chicken can be used instead of bacon to make this a main course!
• Wine: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc are perfect wine choices in this dish. Chicken broth can be used to deglaze the skillet if you don’t cook with wine.
• Beans: I use Cannellini (White Kidney Beans) for this recipe, but you can use a variety of different kinds of white beans, including White Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans.
• All kale or all spinach can be used in this recipe instead of a combination of both. Note that spinach wilts a little more quickly and won't reheat quite as well as kale, especially if frozen.
• This is a great side dish to serve with Pan Fried Chicken or Pork Chops!

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Storage:

• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Kale in particular holds up well when frozen.

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The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 889mg, Potassium: 1182mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 300IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 261mg, Iron: 7mg

Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Author: Stephanie