NAVY BEANS & GREENS WITH BACON & GARLIC

Navy Beans & Greens with Bacon & Garlic image

This is a versatile recipe. It can be a main dish or side dish, soup, or stew.

Provided by Sharon Colyer @Cmom02

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 slice(s) bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small clove garlic for bean dish; 1 1/2 small cloves garlic for soup or stew
1 can(s) (16 oz.) can navy beans, undrained
1 package(s) (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves
1/2 medium lemon
1 - tiny pinch of red pepper flakes, if desired
- salt and pepper, to taste
- chicken broth, optional, to make into soup or stew (approximately 1 box of broth)
- slurry to thicken stew* (see "directions")

Steps:

Heat olive oil, in a skillet, over medium heat. Fry bacon, until crisp. Remove bacon to a plate with paper towels, to drain grease. Crumble bacon. Drain skillet of about half of the fat. Put in onion, saute, and stir, the onion, in the hot oil, until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix the garlic with the onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking, until garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add optional red pepper flakes and stir.
Stir the undrained navy beans, into the mixture; bring to a simmer, giving it an occasional stir. Reduce heat to low. Gently stir the spinach, into the mixture, until the leaves are coated. Cover the skillet; simmer, to allow the flavors to meld, about 1 hour. Salt & pepper, to taste. Squeeze the half lemon, over the dish, and stir to distribute. Put in a serving dish and crumble bacon over beans. Makes 4 servings of beans. Making soup or stew makes about 6 servings.
If you want soup or stew, add chicken broth (about 1 box). *To thicken for stew: Measure ¼ cup of flour and ¼ cup of water or stock and pour into a container with a lid. Place the lid onto the container and shake for 30 seconds to mix. Measure 1 tbsp. of the flour and liquid mixture and add it to the stew. Stir the stew with a wooden spoon until the slurry is well incorporated. Ensure the stew is simmering, but it does not have to be at a rolling boil. Wait two to three minutes to observe the thickness of the stew. If the stew still needs a thicker consistency, repeat the process until the stew is as thick as you would like.