White Beans with Kale and Fresh Herbs

Summer's here and so are fresh herbs! The kale in this dish gives you a heaping helping of greens, and the parsley-crumb crust is light and scrumptious. Serve this dish with a fresh green salad. If you're feeling extra ambitious, try chopping and stewing fresh tomatoes! 

White Beans with Kale and Fresh Herbs

1 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, grated or diced
1 five-inch sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped (~ 1/2 tblsp)
5-6 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 bunch kale, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
14 oz can diced stewed tomatoes, undrained
14.5 oz white beans (such as navy or cannelini)
salt and pepper to taste

1 c vegan dry bread crumbs, divided (such as Trader Joe's brand)
1 tblp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley (flat leaf or curly)

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Heat the olive oil in a med-large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent (about 7 minutes). Add the garlic, rosemary, sage, and kale, and cook for about one minute, until garlic just begins to brown. Add the lemon juice and stir. Add the tomatoes, beans, salt and pepper and stir. Cook until about half of the tomato juice has evaporated.

Pour beans into 8" X 8" or 9" X 9" baking dish. Sprinkle half of the bread crumbs over the top, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. In the meantime, mix the remaining bread crumbs with the parsley, then add the tablespoon of olive oil and incorporate it as evenly as possible. Remove the beans from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle with the bread crumb and parsley mixture. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust begins to brown.

Optional: In the last 5 minutes of baking, spray the top of the crust with olive oil, and/or turn on the broiler. This will add a nice, thin, crispy brown layer to the top of the dish.

Remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.