Trying to include more legumes and leafy greens in your diet? These baked beans with swiss chard and kale deliver both in one delicious and satisfying dish!
I’m always looking for fun new ways to incorporate legumes and leafy greens into my diet. So when I stumbled upon rainbow Swiss chard and Lacinato kale at the farmer’s market one day, I decided to try a twist on classic baked beans.
Traditionally, this dish includes brown sugar and is overly sweet. These savory baked beans with swiss chard and kale include greens, tomatoes, and fresh herbs instead!
The key to bringing out all the flavors is to cook everything in a skillet or Dutch oven on the stove, then allow it to bake in the oven for about an hour. The prep is simple, but the taste is just outstanding.
Not to mention, this vegan “beans and greens” dish really packs a nutritional punch. It’s low in cholesterol and saturated fat, but high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
So if you’re looking for a hearty plant-based dish that’s easy to throw together and clean up, give this recipe a try. It’s also great for leftovers!
How to make baked beans with swiss chard and kale
We’ll start this dish on the stove, then let everything come together in the oven.
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Add the chard, kale, and water to the pan. Cook, stirring continuously, until the greens have wilted, about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes, increase the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Step 5: Add the beans and stir. Add the parsley, thyme, and oregano, then stir again. Simmer for another 3 minutes or so.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Step 7: With a potato masher, coarsely mash about one-third of the beans in the pot. Season with salt, then transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish.
Step 8: Cover, place in the oven, and bake for 45 minutes.
Step 9: Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Divide into eight servings and dive in!
Variations for this recipe
There are so many different ways you could make this hearty dish. Feel free to make changes based on taste, preference, or convenience.
I used a combination of pink beans, pinto beans, and cannellini beans because that’s what I had on hand. But really, you just need three cans of any kind of beans. Make sure to rinse and drain two, but include the liquid form the third.
You could also soak and cook your own dried beans. If you’re not in a hurry, I highly recommend this method! Just be sure to reserve a little bit of the cooking liquid to use in the dish.
Don’t have Swiss chard or kale? Substitute another leafy green of your choice.
Want even more flavor? Try adding some diced bell peppers. For a kick, you could include diced jalapeños or serranos.
Feel free to have some fun with this dish!
Storage
This recipe is one of my favorites for leftovers. The flavors are even deeper the next day.
Simply allow the beans to cool entirely, then transfer to an airtight container. You can store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Other hearty legume recipes
Looking for more plant-based recipes with beans, lentils, and other legumes? There are so many delicious options! Here are a few of my favorites I know you’ll enjoy:
- Moroccan Chickpeas with Squash and Carrots
- Lentil Swiss Chard Soup with Orange Zest
- Stewed Chickpeas and Tomatoes with Kale
When you’ve tried this dish, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Baked Beans with Swiss Chard and Kale
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ large onion (chopped)
- 1 stalk celery (finely chopped)
- 1 carrot (peeled and finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ bunch of Swiss chard (stems and ribs removed, leaves chopped)
- ½ bunch of kale (stems and ribs removed, leaves chopped)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes (undrained)
- 1 15 ounce can pink beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 15 ounce can pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans (undrained)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- leaves from a 6-inch sprig of thyme or lemon thyme (chopped)
- leaves from a 6-inch spring of fresh oregano (chopped)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chard, kale, and water to the pan. Cook, stirring continuously, until the greens have wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, increase the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the beans and stir. Add the parsley, thyme, and oregano, then stir again. Simmer for another 3 minutes or so.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- With a potato masher, coarsely mash about one-third of the beans in the pot. Season with salt, then transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish.
- Cover, place in the oven, and bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Welcome back and thanks for taking the time to post this lovely baked beans recipe despite being busy unpacking (I know how that feels like).