Kale and Beans in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce! Up your pomodoro sauce with nourishing greens and protein-rich beans with this delicious variation.

This Kale and Beans in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce is a simple classic Italian recipe that is loaded with rich tomato flavor and plant-based goodness. Made healthy and delicious, you won’t believe how easy it is to prepare.  Full of San Marzano tomato goodness, earthy kale and hearty white beans makes this dish a satisfying winner!

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

This classic Italian recipe is made healthy and oil-free. San Marzano tomatoes or San Marzano Style tomatoes gives this dish rich, full bodied flavor. It’s low in fat, healthy, and a hearty alternative to enjoy with pasta!

You gotta give this one a try!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: This dish is an easy dish that is full of delicious Italian tomato flavors with kale and white beans.  San Marzano tomatoes and fennel bring excellent flavor to this simple, easy, and flavorful dish.
• Low-Fat Dish Expectations: This dish was designed to be low in fat. Because it is low in fat, you are not going to experience that endorphin rush associated with eating high-fat foods when eating this dish. It is very tasty for what it is, and that is a low-fat dish. We just want to make sure that our Readers recognize this when contemplating making this recipe.  If you wish to make it more indulgent, add the Vegan Parmesan Cheese on individual servings. The vegan parmesan cheese totally takes it over the top.
• San Marzano Tomatoes: We used San Marzano tomatoes.  San Marzano tomatoes are prized Italian tomatoes known for their elongated shape, vibrant red hue, and sweet flavor. They give a rich tomato flavor, have a more delicate thick flesh, yet fewer seeds.  They can be expensive; however, you can find San Marzano style tomatoes which are less expensive.  If you use San Marzano tomatoes, you will need to chop the tomatoes in the skillet with a spoon or spatula. They easily fall apart.  Feel free to use a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes if you cannot locate San Marzano tomatoes or wish to be more frugal. Either is fine, just know that the flavor will be slightly less vibrant if electing not to use San Marzano tomatoes.
• Chopping San Marzano Tomatoes: Chop them with the edge of a spoon or spatula, or if preferred, run them through a food processor to remove all the tomato chunks.  We preferred a small amount of tomato pieces, so we just used the edge of a spoon to break them up.
• Cannellini Beans: We used cannellini beans; however, feel free to use your favorite white bean.
• Kale: Chop the kale into small pieces for a better mouth feel.  Feel free to substitute for your favorite greens.
• Greens: Greens such as spinach and kale are natural spice/herb neutralizers.  A soup/stew/dish can taste perfectly seasoned before adding the greens, then once the greens are added, the flavor mellows and may require more seasoning.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes.  We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the San Marzano tomatoes and tomato sauce) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. However, if you prefer that ‘tinny’ flavor that comes from canned tomatoes, then leave out the baking soda or perhaps use a tiny pinch.
• Water: If the sauce is overly thick, add some water to thin it out.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered container.

This dish can be frozen.

Pantry Products:

• San Marzano Tomatoes: We used Delallo Pomodoro San Marzano Dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino D.O.P and Contadina San Marzano Style Tomatoes, and Hunts San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes in multiple kitchen tests. Feel free to use your favorite San Marzano tomatoes or crushed tomatoes.
• Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free.  Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil.  You can also use chickpea miso for a soy free version.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

Kitchen Products:

• Large skillet or similar stockpot

If you try this flavorful dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.

Kale and Beans in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 25 Minutes
• Total Time: 40 Minutes
• Yield: 4 Servings 1x
• Category: Sauce, Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This Kale and Beans in Spicy Pomodoro Sauce is a simple classic Italian recipe that is loaded with rich tomato flavor and plant-based goodness.

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Ingredients

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Skillet Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow onions, fine dice
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 – [ 28 oz. can ] San Marzano tomatoes *
• 1 – [ 8 oz. can ] tomato sauce
• 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 Tablespoon white miso *
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda (optional) *
• 1 – 15.5 oz. can ] cannellini beans, drained and rinsed *
• 2 ½ to 3 cups chopped baby kale *
• ¼ cup water (if needed) * 

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon dried minced onions
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano (+/-)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (+/-)
• 1 teaspoon dried ground fennel (+/-)
• Pinch to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (+/-) (optional)
• Pinch black pepper (+/-)
• ¼ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *

Serving Ideas:

• Boiled, baked, roasted potatoes
• Cooked pasta
• Steamed rice
• Crusty bread/flatbread

Optional Toppings:

• Vegan Parmesan Cheese
• Chopped parsley

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Instructions

1. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
2. In a large skillet, add the finely diced onions, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes to soften, add a splash of water, if needed to avoid burning. Then lower the heat to medium, add the minced garlic, sauté, stir constantly for one minute.
3. Then add all the remaining Skillet Ingredients (except the baking soda, beans, and kale) and the Spice/Herb Mix to the skillet, stir to incorporate, bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer. Chop the San Marzano tomatoes with the edge of a spoon into small pieces.
4. Add the baking soda, stir well to incorporate.
5. Add the beans and kale, stir to incorporate, then simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
6. Serving ideas: Serve over steamed rice, boiled or baked potatoes, cooked pasta, or with crusty bread or flatbread.

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Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Servings:  4

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