Beans & Greens

You really can't get much healthier than eating beans and dark greens.  They are loaded with protein, iron, calcium and more.  I try to eat this combo often, but recently got in a rut with it.  I made a slight tweak to how I typically make bean and greens and now I can't get enough of them again!  

This may sound super simple, but for me it's made a big difference so I'm sharing anyway.  I take any combo of the following: kale, chard, collards, spinach, bok choy, tatsoi, etc, and chiffonade them.  I fill a soup bowl to the brim with greens.  Then, I boil any type of lentil or bean that I have around until tender.  See this post for saving time when cooking beans Next, pour the beans/lentils and their cooking liquid over the bowl of greens.  Now you have soup!  Add a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a little salt, and you are done if you want.

I've experimented with some other ideas that worked well, too.  You can throw in a bullion cube or spices in the boiling pot to add more flavor.  This is my favorite bullion.  R likes a giant spoonful of homemade habanero hot sauce mixed in his.  Try miso, soy sauce, umeboshi plum paste, seaweed, sesame oil, flavored vinegar, fresh herbs, etc.  The possibilities for flavors are endless here.  I have also thrown in quinoa or rice to make it more filling.  You can also tear up pieces of bread and add them.  I like to keep my Ezekiel bread in the freezer so it doesn't go bad, so I just tore pieces of frozen bread and put that in once.   

What I like most about this soup is the simplicity of ingredients and how easy it is to get a huge serving of greens.  I've literally eaten it for every meal of the day and found it to be delicious.  It's also practically effortless, especially if you have greens washed and chopped.  You get a substantial, hot, homemade, cheap meal for very little time and effort.  Hope you enjoy it as well!