- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 large onions, sliced thinly
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini / white kidney beans, drained
- 2-3 garlic cloves depending on size, minced, grated or finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon each dried oregano and thyme
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup heavy cream, *see note
- ½ package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well squeezed out
- Optional garnishes: grated Parmesan cheese, squeeze of fresh lemon and/or zest
Warm the olive oil and butter in a deep sauté pan, then add the onions. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, for 40+ minutes until soft and golden brown – almost caramelized and not fried. Add the garlic and spices and stir well. Add the cream and stir well again, bring to a simmer. Add the beans and spinach and stir well again to break the spinach up – it will continue to break up as it cooks. Cook on a simmer for 5-10 minutes until it begins to thicken. Holds on low heat for a bit, you can add more cream or stock to hold it longer as needed. Excellent side dish!
*Note: The amount of cream depends on the quality of your beans – some canned beans have a tougher skin, so a bit more cream and longer cooking time will help them soften. Higher quality beans may not need as much cream. You can also use a combination of heavy cream and half and half or even stock, it will change the richness but is still delicious!
Home on the Ridge 