One-Pot Beans, Greens and Grains
Updated Jan. 14, 2025
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1¾ cups water or broth
- 1cup quinoa, long-grain white rice or a mix of the two, rinsed
- Salt and black pepper
- 1(14-ounce) can of any beans
- 1small garlic clove
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1bunch collard greens, kale, spinach or other hearty dark leafy green
- 1lemon
- Toppings (optional): toasted nuts or seeds, fresh herbs, grated or crumbled cheese, soft-boiled egg, avocado, hot sauce or other sauces and so on
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring the water, quinoa and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper to a boil over high. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 13 minutes.
- Step 2
While the quinoa cooks, drain and rinse the beans, then transfer to a small bowl. Finely grate the garlic over the beans, then add the oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside. Remove and discard any tough stems from the greens, then roughly chop the leaves.
- Step 3
After 13 minutes, arrange the greens on top of the quinoa and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the quinoa is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. (When the quinoa is tender, it’s also translucent and has a thin white tail.) Remove the pot from heat, scrape the beans over the greens, then cover the pot and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Finely grate some of the lemon zest over the beans and greens, then cut the lemon into wedges. Eat the beans, greens and grains with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and any toppings you like.
Private Notes
Comments
To me this is the epitome of what cooking for yourself is. A bit of this and a bit of that. A grain, a green and a bean! Add salt, lemon (acid like vinegar works too), garlic and spices to create the palate you want. Farro navy bean collard Millet black bean dino kale Quinoa black eyed peas cabbage Grain, Green, Bean things love a bit of acid fat and salt. So choose your faves to make it your own. Once you get the concept/don’t be afraid to play.
You can’t call something garlicky and only have 1 small clove as an ingredient.
I made this tonight with leftover black eyed peas from New Year's. It was fantastic. I doubled the garlic. I also drizzled a lemon tahini dressing over the top. Fantastic dinner that will be on repeat in this house.
I made this as a salad with quinoa that had already been cooked, red kidney beans, and baby spinach. It was fine and fresh-tasting, with a bit of crispness from the greens.
Not that exciting, unsure why. More toppings might have made a difference.
My kids and husband loved this. We topped it with pumpkin seeds, feta, Avocado, and hard boiled eggs…and Frank’s Red Hot. We were all a bit perplexed as to why this all worked so well but the teens asked for it to go in the regular rotation. I will 💯 percent make this again.
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