Tag Archives: greens

Sausage and Barley Soup with Greens

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This simple, satisfying soup relies on sausage as its flavorful base, therefore we doubled the amount. Start by cooking raw sausage, rather than precooked links, since it generally has better texture and flavor for soup.

Pearled barley adds heartiness and a wonderful chewy texture, another item we increased. We also doubled the greens which are stirred in at the end. A little vinegar is added for brightness, and voila!, you have a cozy meal in less than an hour of mostly hands-off time.

To make this soup gluten-free, you can substitute French green lentils for the barley. If you are making it ahead of time, wait to add the greens until you’re ready to serve to preserve their bright, fresh flavor.

As mentioned above, we altered certain ingredients, in some cases because that is how the items were packaged. Instead of 8 ounces of sausage, our coil was 1 pound and felt that amount was perfect. The baby kale came in 5-ounce clam shells so we used two for a total of 10 ounces instead of the 8 listed. The barley was increased to 3/4 cup and we added 4 cloves of garlic, chopped. Our changes are noted in the recipe below.

Tip: If using regular (hulled) barley, add about 15 minutes to the simmer time for the barley to become tender.

Sausage and Barley Soup with Greens

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil 
  • 1 lb. raw Italian pork or chicken sausage (casings removed if necessary)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 6 cups chicken stock or water
  • 1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup pearled barley (see Tip)
  • 10 oz. tender greens, like spinach or baby kale
  • 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • Grated Parmesan and fresh herbs (optional), for garnishing

Sausage and Barley Soup with Greens

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Directions

  1. Heat a medium Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the sausage, pressing it into a thin layer that covers the bottom of the pot. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip the sausage and break it up into bite-size pieces, then cook until golden brown all over, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes more. If there is a large amount of fat left in the pot after browning the sausage, remove all but about 2 tablespoons.
  2. Add the onion and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the stock, tomatoes and their juices and the barley, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes.
  4. When ready to serve, stir in the greens and cook until bright green and slightly wilted, about 2 minutes.
  5. Add the vinegar, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
  6. Divide among bowls and garnish with Parmesan and fresh herbs, if using. (The soup will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days. The barley will absorb some liquid as the soup sits, so loosen any leftover soup with a bit of water or stock.)

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Linda Xiao for NYTimes Cooking

Skillet-Braised Chicken With Greens and Olives

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Braising chicken and greens together in a skillet does wonderful things to both bird and vegetables. As the chicken cooks, the skin browns, crisps, and renders savory fat, which suffuses the greens with flavor. The greens, in turn, make a soft, moist bed on which to cook the chicken, keeping the meat supremely tender.

In the end, the silky greens make a rich, mineral contrast to the juicy meat, while lemon juice and olives add brightness and acidity to the mix, giving it a pleasant jolt. Serve this with crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or a bed of couscous to catch all the juices.

Using homemade chicken stock will add oodles of flavor, plus some preserved lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped rind) adds an additional depth of flavor.

Skillet-Braised Chicken With Greens and Olives

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ to 2½ lbs. bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • Fine sea salt or table salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. hot smoked paprika, plus more for serving (or use red-pepper flakes)
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
  • 1 cup sliced shallots, about 2 to 3 (or use red onion)
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound sturdy greens, such as escarole, Swiss chard or kale, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro or parsley
  • 1¼ cups chicken stock, preferably homemade, plus more as needed
  • ½ cup pitted coarsely chopped Castelvetrano olives
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • Flaky salt, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, blend 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and the paprika. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and then sprinkle all over with the seasoning mix.
  2. Preheat oven to 400F (375F convection).
  3. In a large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed skillet heat the oil over medium-high. Add chicken to the skillet and let sear until it browns lightly on both sides, removing it to a plate when finished browning.
  4. Add shallots and a pinch of salt, and cook until pale golden brown all over, 5 to 7 minutes.
  5. Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add chopped greens, cilantro, and another ¼ teaspoon salt to the pan, and stir, tossing to coat in the residual chicken fat. It may seem like a lot of greens, but they will cook down. Cook until they have just started to wilt, about 2 minutes.
  6. Add the chicken and any juices on the plate to the skillet with the greens. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to come halfway up the chicken. Bring liquid to a gentle simmer. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 25 to 35 minutes. Add more stock as needed to keep the greens tender and moist.
  7. Remove the skillet from the oven. Stir in olives and cook uncovered over medium heat until they are warmed through, about 1 minute more. Squeeze one lemon half over everything, then taste greens, and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Serve topped with flaky salt, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and more smoked paprika.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Melissa Clark for NYTimes Cooking

Chicken Meatballs With Greens

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Let me just start by saying that the original recipe title was “One-Pot Chicken Meatballs…” However, we found that to be a bit misleading since the entire ordeal used 2 large bowls, a baking sheet and a skillet. So we just did away with that terminology in the title.

An ingenious trick to streamline efforts for weeknight cooks, this is an upside down take on typical skillet meatballs. These juicy garlic-and-herb filled balls are smothered in greens rather than being cooked on top or alongside them.

The meatballs first brown in the pot for both color and flavor, then are covered with a mound of greens, which achieves two feats: It gently finishes cooking the meatballs while the chard and lemon slices steam and collapse on top, draping themselves over these hidden delights. Scoop them up with a soup ladle, spooning the lemony pan sauce over everything.

The Hubs knew the chard stems would take much longer to cook than the leaves would to steam. So after browning the meatballs, he moved them over to a sheet pan, threw the chopped stems into the skillet and cooked, stirring often until tender, about 5 minutes. Then the meatballs went back into the pot, along with the greens mixture.

As written, there is not much sauce to spoon over, so we decided to add 1/2 cup of white wine which deglazes the skillet with the chopped chard stems. And many reviewers commented that they added chicken stock at the end, so we put in 1 cup of chicken stock.

Yes, you could say that was the meal. However, we wanted a bed of pasta on which to spoon over the meatballs and greens. Our choice was pappardelle. Other options might be rice, egg noodles, or some other form of pasta…

Chicken Meatballs With Greens

  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • â…“ cup full-fat thick yogurt (preferably Greek or Icelandic)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • 2 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
  • Salt
  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 6 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 cup chicken broth, preferably homemade
  • 1 lb. rainbow or Swiss chard (1 large or 2 small bunches), tender stalks sliced and leaves cut into 1-inch ribbons
  • 1 lemon, halved, ½ thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, yogurt, garlic, scallions, oregano, crushed red pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and gently mix until fully combined.
  2. Coat your palms in olive oil, then shape the meat into 14 medium meatballs (about 2 inches each), making sure each is lightly coated with oil by refreshing the coating on your hands. Set the meatballs directly on a sheet pan or on parchment paper.
  3. Heat a 12-inch Dutch oven (or other heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat for 2 minutes until hot. Pour in 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of olive oil, tilting the pot to coat the surface, then add the meatballs. Let cook until they are golden halfway up the sides, occasionally turning them when they easily release, adding extra oil if needed, about 7 minutes. Cook the other side until a bit browned, a few minutes more.
  4. Remove the meatballs to a side plate. Add the chopped chard stems and wine to the same pan, scraping up the browned bits and deglazing the pan.
  5. Meanwhile, to another large bowl, add the greens, lemon slices, cumin and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt; toss to coat the leaves, scrunching them up as needed.
  6. Smother the meatballs with the greens and lemon slices. Add in the chicken stock, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the greens tender, 12 to 13 minutes.
  7. Use a soup ladle to scoop up the meatballs, resting them on the greens, and ladling any juices on top of the meatballs and greens. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for serving; top with grated parm, if desired.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Yasmin Fahr for NYTimes Cooking