Kale and White Beans

Hinkle's Note:

I hated kale until a friend gave me a bunch from her garden and this recipe. I added a few ingredients. At dinner my husband ate two servings and asked me to make it again. Success!

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 bunch fresh kale, washed and stemmed
• 14 ounces canned white beans, rinsed and drained (I used navy beans)
• 4 -6 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
• 1 medium tomato, sliced thinly
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thinly
• 4 -6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4-1/3 cup asiago cheese, sliced thinly (I used a vegetable peeler)

Directions:

1. If you can get fresh kale from a garden, wash it, shake off excess water, and store it in a partially airtight container in the frig for 3-4 days. As it "ages," it sweetens.
2. Heat the olive oil slowly in a large frying pan.
3. While the oil is heating, chop the kale in large strips. Set aside.
4. Saute onion and garlic over medium-low heat until they begin to turn color. Do not burn.
5. Throughout the rest of this prepartion do not overheat the oil. Medium should be the right temperature.
6. Stir in the brown sugar, oregano, and thyme. Stir gently for another minute or two until the sugar has disappeared.
7. If you need to add a bit more olive oil, do so at this point. You need a thin layer of hot oil covering the bottom of the pan.
8. Stir the chopped kale into the hot oil mix. Kale may look to be too much to fit in the pan, but be patient; as you stir it in, it begins to wilt down to a manageable size. Stir the kale gently for a few minutes, just long enough to cook it down a bit. Do not let it become soft.
9. Stir in the drained, rinsed beans, the balsamic vinegar, and the salt.
10. Lay the tomato slices on top.
11. Lay the thinly sliced asiago cheese on top of the tomatoes.
12. Turn off heat or turn down very low, cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Reviews

[Big Fat Vegan]

Wow! This totally rocked my socks. I'm vegan, so i skipped the cheese part, but it was still phenomenal. The sweetness of the sauce paired with the mildly peppery taste of the kale was super nice. Great recipe!

[Stellaluna6]

Delicious! My son doesn't like kale or beans and he loved this. I normally have a good sense of what a recipe is going to taste like by reading the ingredients, but this unique combination had me in anticipation. I used swiss cheese and added a little extra brown sugar. Enjoyed by all!

[ksduffster]

We absolutely loved this! My husband says he could have finished off the pan by himself (and nearly did!). The bunch of kale I got from my CSA was smaller than I had anticipated, so I chopped up some broccoli and added it just before the kale. I think I steamed it a little to much, but the flavours were amazing nonetheless. Thanks so much!