Warm Collard Greens & White Bean Salad

Preparation

1. Strip the leaves from the hard stems of the collards. Chop them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
2. Drain the white beans, reserving their broth. If using canned beans, drain and rinse. Set aside.
3. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it starts to ripple. Add the rosemary, reserving 1 teaspoon, let it sizzle for a moment then add the diced onion, carrot and lemon zest. Stir well and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and ‘sweat’ the vegetables for 8-10 minutes or until they are soft and the onion is very slightly golden, stirring every so often to make sure they don’t stick or burn.
4. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Add the chopped garlic, stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chopped greens with a generous pinch of salt and stir-fry until they start to wilt and soften.
5. Add a ½ cup of the bean broth or water. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the greens are tender and the liquid has evaporated. Add a little more broth or water if the vegetables get too dry.
6. Stir in the chopped parsley and remaining 1 teaspoon of rosemary, cook for 1 minute then add the beans to the pan. Gently mix them into the greens. Check for seasoning.
7. Turn off the heat and let the vegetables sit  covered for 5 minutes. Serve drizzled with a little extra olive oil and some lemon juice.

Nutritional Information

Calories

415 cals

Fat

8 g

Saturated Fat

1 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

1 g

Monounsaturated Fat

5 g

Carbohydrates

65 g

Sugar

4 g

Fiber

17 g

Protein

24 g

Sodium

364 mg

*per serving

Ann's Tips and Tricks

It’s worth the trouble to cook your own beans if you can plan ahead. Most canned beans are high in salt, so you can control this when you cook them yourself, plus they taste so much better. I often cook batches of beans and freeze them 2 cups at a time so they are ready to throw into a soup or salad whenever I need them.