Butter beans, spinach, and extra virgin olive oil

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Queen butter beans with greens

Queen butter beans with greens

A simple, rapid-fire side or starter that'll make you feel so very continental. What was once "peasant food" is now a posh lifestyle choice—but it's always been delicious and nutritious.

"Take a plate of beans cooked slowly with garlic, a slice of onion, and a few leafy greens, and put a healthy dollop of olive oil over, as generations of Mediterranean cooks have done down through the ages, and you have something close to a perfect meal. And one that's good for you, too, as modern generations of scientists are proving almost every day."

– Nancy Harmon Jenkins in her cookbook "Virgin Territory: Exploring the World of Olive Oil

Ever since we saw La Buvette in Paris do this dish, we can't quite shake it. It's a near perfect parcel of all the nutrition you need, while visually being surprisingly elegant. I mean, it's beans. But maybe that's just it. Our pals at Bold Bean Co have made us re-think how delicious (and important) beans should be. So here, taking inspiration from La Buvette and this season's hottest green, we give you a stunner of a starter or side to serve at your next dinner party.

(*Pssst. If you're signed up for our newsletter, we've got a cheeky discount for Bold Beans in our May edition.)

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

Serves 3-4

A jar of Bold Bean Queen Butter Beans (now available at Waitrose)!
Citizens of Soil extra virgin olive oil
A bag of leafy spinach
Lemon zest from a whole lemon
Sea salt

Here's the method:

Add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the pan and quickly add in your spinach to wilt.
Pop in the beans. They're ready to go, so pour over the spinach in the pan and heat. It only takes a few minutes, so once it's hot—spoon onto a plate.
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil so it pools around the beans.
Zest over some lemon.
Sprinkle some sea salt.
Get ready to mop up with bread.

Ways to make it more your own:

Throw in some sautéed garlic or onions.
Freshen it up with the lemon juice or a bit of pesto.
Crumble over some feta or diced ham to make it extra rich.

Are you making this? Share with your fellow citizens. Tag us in your photos on Instagram at @CitizensofSoil.

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