I know you’re going to look at this picture and the title of this post and think: “Thanks, but no thanks.” It just doesn’t look or sound like anything special. But, please, stay just a moment longer and hear me out. This was one of the best recipes I’ve made all year.
Deborah Madison is a well-known cookbook author who is passionate about connecting folks to local farmers and food. She specializes in vegetarian cuisine and is therefore a master at creating recipes that center around the flavors and textures of vegetables. Though I grew up eating cabbage only in its raw form, via coleslaw or salads, I’ve come to appreciate its sweet flavor and buttery texture when cooked. And kale has been my best vegetable friend for more than a year now, after showing up weekly in our winter CSA box last year.
This dish has just enough liquid to keep the vegetables and beans moist without being mistaken for a soup. I did use canned beans but made the rest of the recipe as is. I skipped the soaking and cooking of the beans and added my drained, rinsed canned beans to the mixture in the last step of the recipe. To substitute for the cooking liquid, I threw in a little chicken stock. I hope you find room for this recipe in your repertoire one of these chilly fall nights. You won’t regret it.
White Beans with Black Kale and Savoy Cabbage
Serves 6-8
1 cup dried cannellini, navy beans, or gigantes, soaked for 4 hours or overnight
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, finely diced
2 leeks, white parts only, diced
1 bunch cavolo nero (black kale), the leaves stripped from the stems and slivered
1 small Savoy cabbage, quartered, cored, and chopped
2 plump garlic cloves, minced or pounded with a pinch salt
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra to finish
Drain the soaked beans, then put them in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, add 1/2 tsp. salt, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
While the beans are cooking, chop all the vegetables. Rinse the leeks, kale, and cabbage, but don’t dry them.
Warm 2 tbsp. of the oil in a heavy wide skillet. Add the onion and leeks and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft but not browned, about 12 minutes. Add the kale, cabbage, garlic, parsley, and 2 tbsp. salt. Cook with the heat on low and the pan covered until the vegetables are soft and the volume greatly reduced, about 30 minutes.
When the beans are done, add them, along with a cup or two of their cooking liquid, do the pot. Simmer until the greens are completely tender. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Serve with, or over, garlic-rubbed toast, drizzled with olive oil.
From Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets
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