Beans and Greens Alla Vodka
Published March 8, 2022
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3tablespoons olive oil
- 1yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1(6-ounce) can tomato paste
- ¼cup vodka
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 2(15-ounce) cans white beans (such as cannellini or Great Northern) or chickpeas, drained but not rinsed
- 1bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves torn or coarsely chopped
- ¼cup heavy cream
- Grated Parmesan, as needed
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
492 calories; 17 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 881 milligrams sodium
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
- Step 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, vodka and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the tomato paste is a shade darker and starts to stick to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 2
Add 2 cups water, the beans and the kale, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid is flavorful and the kale is tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Step 3
Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Taste and if it needs more salt, stir in some grated Parmesan. Serve with more Parmesan on top.
Private Notes
Comments
If you infuse the red pepper flakes in the vodka for five minutes before using, you will get a more intense (yet not hotter) pepper flavour. Take a small sip beforehand to see exactly what I mean. (Chemically, you are allowing the alcohol to extract esters and capsaicin from the pepper before it evaporates over the burner.)
To make it vegan, substitute cashew cream for the heavy cream. To make your own, barely cover raw cashews in warm water for 30 minutes, then blend.
Evaporated milk. You could also mash some beans to thicken. My mom likes to puree an extra can of beans in the blender and add that instead of adding milk or cream. She does this for many sauces/soups. Delish and bonus: healthy.
I didn’t realize I didn’t have vodka until it was too late! But it turned out great regardless, I followed as directed otherwise with 1 can white beans and 1 can of chickpeas.
Added chorizo at the end of the onion sauté and this dish became a flavor bomb! On my second pass at making it I needed to create a vegetarian version for one of my guests so I ended up with a side-by-side comparison of ‘recipe as written’ vs recipe with added chorizo. For me the chorizo brought an intensity of flavor that absolutely made the dish and I’ll never go back.
Soo good! Instead of water, use chicken stock/broth to add more salt that way. If you can handle more spice, add more red pepper flakes.