| | | |  | | Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. Give beans the spanakopita treatment Hi, hello. Today's recipe is a new one from me, for a saucy, filling pot I'm calling Spanakopita Beans. A friend of mine loves some songs so much, he'll play them again and again, blasting, let's say, "Don't Stop Believin'" from the speakers in his living room until his wife comes home and pulls the plug. (To be fair, he only does this when no one else is around!) In his car or when using headphones, he'll regularly listen to a favorite song on repeat for hours, maybe days, as if pickling his brain in the music. I can relate. I go through phases with certain dishes. I'll make them multiple times a week or even multiple times a day, chasing that flavor-texture synthesis over and over. Since I was a teen, I've done this with crepes, Dutch baby pancakes, black bean soup, onion dip and grilled cheese. This year's entry into the on-repeat collection is the Greek combination of spinach and feta, most famous in the crispy, flaky pastry known as spanakopita. I've been adding the combination of spinach, feta, scallions and parsley to scrambled eggs, Dutch babies, frittatas and stratas. I've put it on plain old toast, which I've run under the broiler to let the spinach wilt and the feta get melty. At some point, I thought: What if I gave beans the spanakopita treatment? I started by building a base. I sautΓ©ed thinly sliced scallions in olive oil to let them sweat and take on a little color. I usually have fresh baby spinach in my refrigerator, but I decided to use a bag of frozen mature spinach leaves because I like their deeper vegetal flavor. Bonus: Using the bagged frozen leaves instead of the brick means I can add them to the pot still frozen and don't have to chop them up. They take seconds to defrost and cook down, picking up the flavor of the scallions and some garlic. Parsley went in next as I let the excess liquid from the spinach evaporate. Next, I picked two cans of cannellini beans out of my pantry, popped them open, and drained and rinsed them in a strainer over the sink. They went in along with a cup of vegetable broth. After a few minutes, the familiar smell of spanakopita started wafting out of the pot, and I knew I was close. All that was left was to add lemon juice, feta, salt and pepper. I liked this dish most when some of the feta melted into the spinach-coated beans and some stayed cool and pristine on top. A bit more parsley and a drizzle of olive oil were nice finishing touches. The first time I made it, I used fresh, warmed pita to scoop it out of the pot. The second time, I served it with pita chips. I've also served it atop rice, thinly sliced romaine leaves and boiled-and-smashed potatoes, and, once for breakfast, with a fried egg on top. What can I say? I've got spanakopita playing on repeat. | | | |  | Today's Recipe | | | Ingredients for Spanakopita Beans. (Photos by Lauren Bulbin/The Washington Post; food styling by Carolyn Robb) | Spanakopita Beans Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe. Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Servings: 4 (makes 7 cups)
Total time: 20 mins Ingredients - 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- One (10-to-12-ounce) bag frozen spinach (no need to defrost; see tips)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (any type), divided
- Two (15-ounce) cans Great Northern, navy or cannellini beans, preferably no-salt-added, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable broth, preferably low-sodium
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more as needed
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- Pita chips or fresh pitas, warmed, for serving
Steps 1. In a shallow Dutch oven or wide, heavy-bottomed skillet (at least 3-quart capacity) over medium-high heat, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach fully defrosts and releases its liquid, about 4 minutes. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the parsley for garnish, then stir in the rest, cooking just until the bottom of the skillet is mostly dry, about 1 minute. 2. Add the beans and broth, stirring until everything is well combined. Continue cooking until the flavors meld, 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. 3. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper until combined. Crumble the feta on top and gently stir some of it in. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper, as desired. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top, sprinkle with the reserved parsley and serve hot, with pita chips or fresh pitas. From staff writer G. Daniela Galarza. Tested by G. Daniela Galarza. Nutrition information per serving (1 3/4 cups): Calories: 411; Total Fat: 20 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 41 g; Sodium: 641 mg; Cholesterol: 25 mg; Protein: 19 g; Dietary Fiber: 14 g; Sugar: 1 g.
Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas: - Softer, mild white beans are best here >> but you could use pinto or cranberry beans or chickpeas in a pinch.
- Canned beans >> 3 cups home-cooked beans.
- Use loose, bagged frozen spinach, so there's no need to defrost or chop it.
- Bagged frozen spinach >> fresh baby spinach, chopped. If you want to use a frozen block of spinach, defrost and drain it before using.
- Feta >> goat cheese.
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Catch up on this week's Eat Voraciously recipes:
Monday: Black Bean Burgers
Tuesday: Coconut Chicken Soup
Wednesday: Orecchiette With Shredded Brussels Sprouts
More recipes from Eat Voraciously
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