Nourish: Braised Beans and Greens

NourishDecember 8, 2025

Nourish: Braised Beans and Greens

A dish that is as grounding as it is simple, gently left to simmer on the stove. Built from pantry staples, olive oil draws out the sweetness of onion, garlic warms in the pan, and kale softens into the broth. Cannellini beans give the dish its body, while lemon brings everything into balance at the end. Straightforward, nourishing, and deeply satisfying food meant to be cooked often and eaten generously. It is the kind of dish that tastes better as it sits, perfect with crusty bread and a generous finish of lemon zest and chilli flakes.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 medium onion thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes plus more to serve
  • 150 grams of kale stems removed and roughly torn
  • 1 can 400 grams cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 250 milliliters vegetable stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon zest plus more to finish
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Steps

  1. Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and lightly golden, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and stir until fragrant.
  2. Add the kale and cook until just wilted, followed by the cannellini beans, vegetable stock, bay leaf and lemon zest.
  3. Season with salt and black pepper, reduce the heat, and let the mixture simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly thickened and well combined.
  4. Mash some of the beans with the back of a spoon.  Remove the bay leaf, finish with lemon juice, then serve warm with extra olive oil, lemon zest and chilli flakes on top.
Recipe process image
Recipe process image
Recipe process image

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