“Slow Baked” Bean and Kale
“Slow Baked Beans and Kale.
Beans baked very slowly for several hours develop a creamy texture, while the liquid they cook in, which thickens to a syrup, acquires a caramelized flavor. The kale practically melts in this casserole, going from bitter to sweet. I love using lima beans in this dish because they’re so big and their texture is so luxurious.”
– NY Times
2/1/2011
Are you drooling? I certainly did when I first came across the recipe last February so I knew I HAD to make it! Not only did it sound fantastic, it was good for you too!
Unfortunately it did not turn out the way I had expected. No creamy texture, no caramelized flavor. Nothing luxurious about it. Just a watery mess.
What a disappointment.
But the flavors were there so it was just a matter of tweaking how this is cooked. The results? Let’s just say this is a keeper!
“Slow Baked” Bean and Kale
1 bunch kale, stemmed and washed in two changes of water
Bowl of ice water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
2 rib celery, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 2/3 cups white beans (3/4 pound) or dried lima beans, picked over and soaked for at least four hours and drained
1 6-ounce can tomato paste, dissolved in 1 cup water
3 cups bean water
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp dry parsley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1. Place beans in a pot and add enough water so that it’s about 3-4 inches of water above the beans. Bring the water to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat down so that it simmers. Cover and let it simmer until tender, about 1-1/2 hours.
2. Once tender, scoop out 2-1/2 cups of beans and set aside. Drain the rest of the beans, reserving the liquid.
3. In a large bowl, stir the tomato paste and 2 cups of the bean liquid together. Add the remaining beans (not the 2-1/2 cups you just set aside). Use a hand blender to puree the beans into the liquid. This should be a creamy consistency but if it’s still too thick, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the bean liquid. Set aside.
4. Remove the bitterness from the kale by first bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Tear the kale into bite size pieces and put it into the boiling water for two minutes. Drain and quickly put the kale into the bowl of ice water to prevent it from cooking any further. Squeeze out the water and set aside.
5. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. You can use the same pot that you cooked the beans in. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until the onion is tender. Add the garlic and stir for about a minute.
6. Preheat the oven to 225.
7. Pour the tomato paste/bean mixture into the pot with the veggies and bring to a simmer. Add the thyme, parsley, bay leaf, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper.
8. Stir in kale so that it’s mixed in evenly and thoroughly.
9. Carefully stir in the 2-1/2 cups of beans you had set aside earlier and bring to a simmer. Taste and add more salt if needed. Be careful in over salting now because some liquid will evaporate in the oven later.
10. In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs and 1 tbsp olive oil together. Set aside.
11. Pour mixture into an oven-proof bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the beans and bake for 30-60 minutes, until the bread crumbs are lightly browned.
Serves 8-10 one-cup servings.
