You know those nights when you’ve gotten to the end of the week and have a bunch of leftover veggies in your fridge?
A couple carrots… some celery and onion, tomatoes, and maybe some fresh herbs?
Most people use ’em up in a simple soup or salad, but I’m here to tell you a secret…
You can cook them up in an easy veggie saute!
Just add beans, greens, olives, and cheese & you’ve got a filling and super healthy dinner.
I know. It sounds a little weird… but trust me…. it’s delicious! And it’s one of those dinners you can feel good about eating. The warm cheesy veggies and creamy beans leave you feeling light, nourished, and full of energy.
When I make dinners like these, I usually don’t follow a recipe. I just saute up all the veggies in the fridge, add whatever beans, greens, olives, and cheese I have on hand, top with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice and call it a day.
But if you’ve never made a saute like this before, it can help to have a framework. Follow this recipe to get the basic idea down, then customize it yourself next time the mood strikes. It’s also great with feta, goat cheese, or even blue cheese, kidney beans, white beans, or black beans, and any sort of greens- kale or collard greens are delicious too. Have fun with it!
- 4 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
- Several tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or oil of choice
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch red chard, stems thinly sliced, leaves roughly chopped
- 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz can black olives, drained and halved
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 bunch parsley, minced
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 3/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup halved ciliegine, small balls of water packed fresh mozzarella cheese
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Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to a large non-stick saute pan and warm over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, season with a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper, and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
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Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and add the onion. Reduce the heat to medium and saute until the onions are soft and just turning golden, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and saute another 5 minutes until softened.
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Increase the heat to medium-high and add the bell pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the bell pepper just starts to soften.
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Reduce the heat back to medium and add the garlic and swiss chard. Cook, stirring to incorporate the greens, for about 1 minute or until the chard has started to wilt. Add the garbanzo beans, olives, green onions, parsley, cherry tomatoes, and reserved mushrooms. Let cook for 1 minute until warmed.
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Turn off the heat, drizzle the juice of 1 lemon on top, stir in the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and season well with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Enjoy right away with a hunk of crusty french bread on the side.
