White Beans and Greens with Bacon

These easy white beans and greens are cooked with bacon and caramelized onions for maximum flavor. This is the perfect dish to use greens from your garden. Just a few simple ingredients are needed. Serve as a hearty side dish or even as a main course.

You might also like these green beans with bacon side dish.

This white beans and greens with bacon recipe is a very old post that I remembered and decided to update. Back then I used to make my husband plant kale and Swiss chard every year in his vegetable garden. And then he would complain that I didn’t use it much.

So I had heard about beans and greens and decided to make my own version and added bacon. It was so delicious to me but unfortunately beans are one of those foods that don’t agree with me.

It’s a delicious combination of caramelized onions, garlic, tender white beans and any kind of mixed leafy greens you want to use. And it’s cooked in bacon grease with crumbled bacon added back in. So you can see how that would be a very tasty side dish! And it’s a great way to use greens from your garden!

Recipe ingredients I used.

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this wonderful side dish, most of which are basic pantry staples. I used white beans, bacon, yellow onion, fresh garlic cloves and mixed greens.

Originally I used kale and Swiss chard leaves from my garden but my husband will no longer grow it for me. However assorted baby greens are readily available at most grocery stores. Also you can use collard greens, mustard greens or really any type you want.

As for the white beans there are a variety of canned beans that you can use. I used great northern beans but really any kind of white bean (navy or cannellini beans) will work.

How to make white beans and greens with bacon.

1. Get out a large skillet heat to medium heat and cook the bacon. Once it’s done, take out the bacon but use the grease and the same pan for the rest of the dish. If you need any additional oil, add a bit of olive oil. 
2. Next add the onions and saute them until the are nice and caramelized.
3. Now you add in the greens and cook them until they just start to wilt. You may have to do this in bunched because they really shrink down and you won’t be able to get all of the fresh greens in at once. You might need to add a bit of water or chicken broth to wilt them but I did not and the heat worked fine for me.
4. Season with salt and black ground pepper and mix. If you want to add a bit of heat, you can sprinkle some hot pepper flakes in too.
5. Add in the crushed garlic and white beans. Saute for 3-5 minutes or so and take it off the stove. Add in the crumbled bacon to the bean mixture and mix well.

Store leftovers in an air tight container. (Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.)

Serve this as a hearty side dish or even as a main dish with some crusty bread for an easy weeknight meal.

You could also add some cooked pasta to make this more of a meal. Sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese and you are done. Below you can see the finished dish.

Other delicious side dishes with bacon.

Who doesn’t like bacon. I think it makes just about anything good.I have many recipes with bacon that you can make this summer. Here are few of my favorite recipes that use bacon.

• tomato jam with caramelized onions
• avocado shrimp salad
• ranch and chicken broccoli salad
• fried radishes and turnip hash
• savory tomato French toast
• hot jalapeno creamy corn dip
• German fried potatoes

Well I hope you like this easy and most delicious white beans and greens with bacon side dish. It really tastes only 20 minutes to make (though cooking times may vary) and is the perfect summer dish for busy weeknights. Enjoy!

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White Beans and Greens with Bacon

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This easy white beans and greens side is made even better with bacon. It is are the perfect way to use greens from your garden. Serve as a hearty side dish or as a main course. This is one of the easiest budget friendly meals you can make.

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Ingredients

• 4 pieces of thick bacon
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cups greens, tightly packed
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or sliced
• 1 cup white beans
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. In a saute pan, fry bacon until done to your liking. I like it crispy myself.
2. Take out and set aside but keep the grease and use this pan for the rest of the dish. If you need any additional oil, add a bit of olive oil. 
3. Add the onion to the pan and saute until starting to caramelize and brown.
4. Chop your greens into small pieces and to pan. You make have to do this in batches because the 4 cups will shrink down a lot but you can't put them in all at once. If you need to add some water or chicken stock to steam them you can but just a tablespoon or two. I didn't need to do this.
5. Let the greens cook down a bit (maybe 5 minutes) then seasoning with salt and pepper. If you want to add a bit of heat, you can sprinkle some hot red pepper flakes in too.
6. Add beans and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Take off the stove, add in bacon and serve. Serve with crusty bread or eat as is. You can also add a bit of grated cheese on top if you wish.

Notes

You can make this a hearty one dish meal by adding some cooked pasta.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 493mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 11gSugar: 2gProtein: 14g