Manu's wild chicory and cannellini beans Recipe

captured by The Recipe Hunters in calabria, italy

Dita hiked through the local countryside to collect the wild chicory for our recipe. While the chicory was on the stove, she brought us out past her family's intricate and beautiful garden, past the cacti and to the hill underneath the eucalyptus trees to show us how to identify and pick the chicory. Wild Chicory is a plant that you can find in many backyards all over Europe and North America!

Wild Chicory and Cannellini Beans is a classic dish from Calabria, Italy that can be made from simple ingredients made from your own home garden. Its hearty, healthy and delicious. Her sister, Manu spent the next hour showing us the recipe, step-by-step as her mother would make it. Check out the her recipe below!

ingredients for 

wild chicory and 

cannellini beans

• 2 lbs Chicory (escarole or broccoli rabe works too)

• 1/2 lb White Cannellini or any eye beans (3 cups dry beans)

• Water

• 1 Clove of garlic

• 1/4 Cup Olive oil

• Salt to taste

Recipe for wild chicory and cannellini beans

Preparation: Wash and soak the beans 6-8 hours before.

Serve 3-4

1. Drain the beans from their soaking water. Add the beans, water, 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil, and a generous amount of salt (2 Tbsp) to the pressure cooker. Cover the beans with 2 fingers height of water, but be sure to not fill the pressure cooker above the halfway mark. Check on the beans after 15 minutes and cook until soft. If the beans are not done after 15 minutes, add hot water to the pot and boil again. When done set aside. *Be careful when using the pressure cooking, read the following safety instructions for any concerns.

Made with Love Tip: If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook the beans in a large pot over medium-high heat for 3-4 hours or until soft. Stir ocassionally and remove scum from the surface when it appears.

2. While the beans are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the chicory until dark green and soft (see photos below). 

Made with Love Tip: You can save the water and drink as a digestive aid. 

3. Add the chicory back into the pot. Sprinkle salt over the chicory. Create a well in the center of the chicory, add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the well. Keep the skin on the garlic and cut a slice in the garlic clove. Place the garlic into the well with the olive oil. Heat the oil over medium heat.

4. Once the oil has heated (3-4 minutes), mix the oil into the chicory with a wooden spoon. Salt and allow the oil and chicory to heat over medium-love flame.

7. Add the beans to the chicory and stir. Cover, and allow to cook over low flame for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring.

8. Salt to taste, and serve. Enjoy Wild Chicory with Cannellini Beans, Made with Love!

wild chicory and cannellini beans Recipe photos

Written by The Recipe Hunters:

 Leila Elamine and Anthony Morano