Braised White Beans and Greens With Parmesan

By Lidey Heuck

Updated October 20, 2024

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(18,438)
Comments
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Inspired by the Italian dish of sautéed puntarelle (an Italian variety of chicory) and white beans, this recipe makes a satisfying vegetarian main course or a hearty side dish for roast chicken or sausages. It opts for canned white beans, for the sake of weeknight convenience, and Swiss chard, which is much milder than puntarelle and easier to find in the U.S. Kale or escarole would also work well, if that’s what you’ve got. On that note, grated Pecorino Romano cheese gives the broth a more pungent element, but Parmesan will work in its place. Serve in shallow bowls with toasted country bread to mop up the garlicky broth.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and small-diced

  • 1 small yellow onion, small-diced

  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or thyme

  • 5 garlic cloves, minced

  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste

  • 1 large or 2 small bunches escarole, kale or Swiss chard, stems removed (10 to 12 ounces)

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed

  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella (optional)

  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

  • Toasted country bread, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

67 grams carbs; 21 milligrams cholesterol; 558 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 21 grams fat; 14 grams fiber; 1313 milligrams sodium; 28 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the fennel, onion and rosemary, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  2. Step 2

    Begin adding handfuls of the greens, cooking and stirring until leaves wilt.

  3. Step 3

    Add the white beans, broth and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer, mashing some of the beans with a wooden spoon, until the liquid has reduced and thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, then the mozzarella, if using, and Pecorino Romano. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide among shallow bowls and top with more Pecorino Romano. Serve with toasted bread and a dish of red-pepper flakes on the side.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
18,438 user ratings
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Comments

dee

Discarding those stalks from the chard is such a miss. Think of chard as two vegetables in one - the stalk and the leaf. Cut them out {fold the leaf in half lengthwise and cut along the length of stalk to free the stalk from the leaf} and dice the stalks, then add to the onions and fennel to sauté.

Josh

Gosh. This is about the most delicious bean dish I've made. No: it's the most delicious using canned beans. Living alone I need a few ways to use up leftovers so here are my plans: 1) add more stock and turn into soup, 2) drain some in a sieve overnight in fridge and smash into a ciabatta bun for lunch, 3) reheat and serve with a poached egg and baguette toast points.

Sarah

Celery or leeks are a good sub for fennel and given the way this recipe is made I'd go with leeks for a more mild flavor profile. Celery is better as a substitute for raw fennel.

Meg

Full disclosure: I had good quality, fresh hot Italian sausage in the fridge that either needed to be eaten or put in the freezer, so I removed the casings and, Ali Slagle-style, pinched them into little meatballs, which I then browned. And that’s how I began this recipe! Then, I deglazed the pan with a splash of white wine, and followed the recipe to a T, using a massive head of escarole I got at my farmers market. I added the little Italian sausage meatballs back in when I added the white beans. This was absolutely delicious this way. I’m sure it would be delicious without the Italian sausage. I think I would add the mozzarella cheese if I didn’t have the meatballs, but the 3 T of pecorino Romano was perfect in this case. I will definitely make again, but maybe if I only have escarole. That seemed to really make the dish!

Jessie

Rancho Gordo Caballero white beans (cooked for about 4 hours maybe?) and their broth, 1 bunch of kale, added the zest of the lemon I juiced along with diced fennel fronds at the end, served with Beyond Meat's brats and baguette. SO good--will definitely make again

Betty

Not the hugest fan of kale, I substituted fresh collard greens, which I separated from the stems and sliced into 2" thick strips. The creamy texture of the cannellini makes for such a hearty eating experience. Very time- and ingredient-efficient, too.

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