Smokey, Silky Kidney Beans With Spinach Swirl

Beans

1. Heat a large cast iron pot over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add the onion, cut side down, the garlic, and the chiles to the pot. Give the onion 5 minutes to char before flipping it to char on the other side. When the garlic skins are golden brown and the cloves start to soften, remove the cloves to a plate. Remove the chiles when they become fragrant, pliable, and toasty, but before they blacken. Peel the garlic and remove and discard the stem and seeds from the chiles.
2. Lower the heat on the pot to medium. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot with the peeled garlic, the onion, and the spices. Sauté for one minute before adding the beans, the broth, cider vinegar, the smoked salt, and the avocado leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook for an hour and 15 minutes, or until the beans are super tender (don’t worry about some breaking, we are mushing them up in the end anyhow).
3. When the beans are fully cooked, strain them through a sieve, reserving their liquid. Add the beans to the food processor. (Don’t worry about cleaning the bowl). Purée until smooth, alternating adding the cooking liquid a splash at a time and the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Process until the texture is creamy and spreadable (it will thicken as it cools).

Spinach Puree

1. While the beans are cooking, prepare the spinach purée. Place a large, deep sauté pan (one with a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat. Add the ghee and the olive oil along with the leeks and sauté until the leeks are soft and start to brown. Stir frequently. Add the spinach and cover. Cook for five minutes, or until the spinach is wilted and soft, but still bright green.
2. Remove the pan from the heat to cool for five minutes. Add the greens and leeks to a food processor with salt and purée until smooth, scraping down the sides. Add the residual liquid from the pan to the processor and continue to purée until you achieve a baby food-like texture. Remove to a lidded storage container.

Plating

1. Transfer to a serving bowl and swirl the spinach purée in with a spoon. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with tortillas or rice.