Meatless Monday: Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale

Gluten-Free, Italian, Meatless, Sides, Thanksgiving / Monday, November 5th, 2012

I was the kid who once ordered a vegetable plate with five different kinds of potatoes, so when I find a new (tater-free) veggie dish that I love, I get very, very excited.

Last week, I was listening to the Satellite Sisters’ pre-Thanksgiving podcast on my way to the grocery, and they mentioned that one of them was bringing Giada De Laurentiis’s Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale to the big meal. I’d been on the hunt for some not-so-starchy fall sides, so I jotted down the ingredients and threw the salad together as soon as I got home.

The green beans are cooked as little as possible, which might put some of my people off, but this is good. A huge, lemon-kissed skilletful of snappy green beans and spicy kale tossed with tender onion and mushrooms. The finish is a dusting of finely grated Parmesan, which forms the slightest of crusts, but vegans won’t miss it.

The first night, I served this salad as a side, but the next day, I warmed it up for lunch and added a sliced hard-boiled egg for some extra protein. Some warmed chickpeas would also be pretty fabulous. Or, dang it, some leftover boiled potatoes.    

Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale

From Giada De Laurentiis

Makes 6 to 8 servings

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1/4 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered (about 14 mushrooms)
  • 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and slice into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 bunch kale (1/2 pound), rinsed, stemmed, and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
  • 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
  1. Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
  2. Add the mushrooms, green beans, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the wine and continue cooking until the green beans are almost tender, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the red pepper flakes and the kale and continue cooking until the kale has wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  5. Add the lemon juice and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat and serve immediately.
Nutritional Information (Per Serving) – 138 calories, 8g fat, 5g protein, 15g carbs, 4g fiber.

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