This ragout recipe was first published in my cookbook, Simple Green Suppers, and these days, I'm making this - or variations of it - more often as I try to incorporate meat-less meals into our week. (Though you can easily serve it as a side for meat.)

What is a ragout? You could think of it as stew-light. A ragout cooks for less time and uses less liquid than a stew.  

There’s some chopping to do here, but the cooking is quick and easy. The flavor profile – the rosemary, the olives, and the garlic – is wonderfully assertive, but you can play around with it. Swap sundried tomatoes and capers for the olives. Replace the balsamic with lemon juice and zest. Add bell peppers to the veg. Make it your own! (And if you need to make your meat-eaters happy, you could always incorporate a bit of crumbled fresh sausage or sliced cured sausage.)

Serves 4 as a side, 3 as a main

 

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • ½ cup small-diced carrot
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
  • Generous 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • Pinch of kosher salt, more as needed
  • One 19-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup chopped tomato (any kind, about 1 medium tomato)
  • 2 cups stemmed and very thinly sliced collard greens or kale
  • ¼ cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, plus more if needed

 

1. In a small (3- to 4-quart) Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the veggies are soft and beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Add the chopped garlic and rosemary and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the cannellini beans, the chopped tomatoes, and ½ cup water. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring a few times during cooking.

4. Uncover the pot, stir in the collards, and continue to cook, uncovered, on low heat until the liquids are reduced and the mixture is somewhat thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.

5. Stir in the olives and vinegar and cook for 1 minute more. Taste for seasoning and add more vinegar if you like. Portion into bowls.