Spicy One-Pot Beans and Greens
One-pot, healthy, hot & spicy! Serve over toasted naan or with tortilla chips for scooping. It's versatile too, and can easily become a main course.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more on hand if needed
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- black pepper, coarsely ground to taste
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- fine sea salt to taste
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
- 1/2 cup red wine ex. Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir
- 1/2 tbsp Calabrian pepper paste* substitute with Harissa sauce, see notes*
- 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes (whole and peeled), roughly chopped, with juices substitute w/ fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth, plus more on hand if needed
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika powder see notes
- 1/4 tsp chili powder see notes
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 3 15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed well or mix and match with your favorite beans
- 3 oz fresh greens, roughly chopped ex. spinach, kale
- 7.1 oz Daiya brand shredded cheese (vegan, plant-based) or your preference (cheddar, mozzarella, etc.)
Instructions
- In a large 5 1/2 quart saute pan with deep sides, heat the olive oil over low-medium heat and add red pepper flakes and a generous amount of coarsely ground fresh black pepper (approximately 5 turns), cook until the peppers begin to toast and their colors begin to run into the oil. By now the oil should be hot and shimmery, careful not to let it smoke.
- Add the onions and season with a light sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and beginning to caramelize, 25-30 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed.
- Push the onions to the side of the pan to expose the hot center. Add the tomato paste. Allow the paste to sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to caramelize, lowering the heat a bit if necessary.
- Add the garlic and stir the paste and onions together. At this point there should be caramelization stuck to the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and add the red wine. Return to a low boil and deglaze the pan by stirring and scraping up any brown bits that may have accumulated on the bottom. Stir well to incorporate and let the wine reduce for about 1 minute.
- Add the Calabrian pepper paste, the chopped tomatoes along with their juices, and the vegetable broth, stir well to mix. Add the smoked paprika and chili powder. Lightly season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the nutritional yeast and mix gently. Add the beans and gently stir to incorporate. Next, add the greens - be patient with them, they’ll cook down significantly. Stir the greens often to help them along, gently folding them into the sauce, until they are completely tender and wilted, at least 5-7 minutes.
- Now is a good time to check the consistency. It should be thick, but still loose enough to be spoon-able with a sauce-like essence. If too thick, add more broth, just a little at a time. If too loose, cook for a little longer, noting that it will thicken more as it cools. The addition of cheese will also help to thicken up the mixture at the end, so use your preference and judgment. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.
- Lower the heat to a simmer. Add the shredded cheese evenly on top. Allow the cheese to fully melt, helping it along with your cooking spoon, tucking it in a little here and there to assist bringing the heat to the top, cover for a few minutes if needed. Turn off the heat and serve hot! Serving suggestions, add on top of lightly crisp and toasted naan or serve alongside tortilla chips for scooping. See notes for more suggestions.
Notes
*If you don't have Calabrian pepper paste for a kick of heat, add more dried spices like chili powder, cayenne pepper, etc.
This dish is intended to be spicy, the cheese and naan, if using, will help balance the heat a bit. If a more mild outcome is desired, omit the pepper paste and adjust the spices to your liking.
Depending on how you intend to enjoy this dish, you can make it as thick or as loose as you'd like by adjusting the wine and broth ratio.
Want to make it early and have it for later? Omit melting the cheese until you're ready to heat the pan back up, then check the consistency (keeping broth on hand to thin, if needed); when all is to your liking, add and melt the cheese.
Other ways to enjoy this dish:
Consider adding rice and serve it as a main course. Adding rice will mean adjusting the liquid ratio. Also consider serving alongside mashed potatoes or whipped parsnips, this make a saucy tomato-wine essence that pairs irresistibly. Add mushrooms and other veggies, noting again that the liquid and spice ratio might need to be adjusted.
Another entire meal can be created by adding any leftovers to pasta. Just have more broth, wine, or San Marzano tomatoes on hand to adjust to fit your recipe.
Leftovers reheat very well, too.