This Italian-inspired Creamy White Bean Skillet is so luxurious, with soft cannellini beans simmered in a rich sauce with spinach, tomatoes, basil, and vegan parmesan. An easy comfort food made in just one pan!
Do you have extra cans of white beans in your cupboard? Use them to make my White Bean Dip, White Bean Salad, and White Bean Soup recipes next!
Simmering white beans, spinach, and basil in an indulgent tomato cream sauce, everything about this one-pan vegan dinner screams “mouthwatering.” Scoop it up by the spoonful or with a piece of crusty bread for a truly unforgettable meal.
Why you’ll love this easy white bean skillet
- One-pan meal – Everything from the white beans to the aromatics to the dairy-free cream sauce is cooked in one skillet, making this meal seriously easy.
- Creamy and comforting – This white bean recipe is as indulgent as my Marry Me Chickpeas. Curl up on the couch with a bowl and scoop it up with crusty bread for the ultimate comfort food experience!
- Simple ingredients – All you need are canned beans, everyday herbs and seasonings, pantry staples, and some fresh veggies to make this simple dinner.
Frequently asked questions
I recommend using any variety of soft white beans for this, like cannellini beans or great northern beans. Butter beans are larger in size, but they will also work here. If chickpeas are all you have, go ahead and use them, but know that they aren’t as soft and creamy.
Yes, this recipe is gluten-free as written. Just serve it with gluten-free bread or cooked rice for a 100% gluten-free dinner.
Yes, you can replace the cashew cream with canned coconut cream or store-bought vegan cream.
I can never get enough of this white bean skillet when I scoop it up with crusty slices of my Dutch Oven Bread. If you’re serving a crowd or want to stretch the meal even further, feel free to serve it with a Kale Caesar Salad on the side and sliced Italian vegan sausages on top.
The leftover bean skillet will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat with a splash of broth or water to thin the sauce, if needed.
Creamy Skillet White Beans with Spinach and Basil
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 small sweet onion diced small
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- (2) 15-ounce cans cannellini beans or great northern
- 4 cups baby spinach sliced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup fresh basil sliced or chopped
- 1/2 cup vegan Parmesan cheese optional
For Serving
- Dutch Oven Bread
- cooked pasta or rice
Instructions
- Prepare the Cashew Cream: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil (I use my tea kettle.) Pour the hot water over the cashews in a bowl and let them soak for at least 5 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water and add to a high-powered blender along with the vegetable broth and blend until creamy and smooth.
- Make the Skillet White Beans: In a large pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once warm, add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Next add the red chili flakes, salt, black pepper, tomato paste and the cashew cream and stir well to combine. Stir in the drained and rinsed beans. Cook for 5-10 minutes, adding a little bit of water if it gets too thick.
- To Finish: Stir in the baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, basil and vegan Parmesan, if using. Let the spinach wilt and the Parmesan melt, then remove from heat. Serve immediately with crusty bread, cooked pasta or rice.
Notes
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You may use a store-bought vegan cream or canned coconut cream instead of cashew cream, but I prefer cashew cream if possible.
Easy and good! I didn’t have raw cashews so subbed a can of coconut milk for the broth. I added a tsp of veg bullion.
Hi Kristine. I’m so glad you loved the recipe and it turned out great for you! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and wonderful review! Happy cooking!
I’m interested in making this but I have a question, if I sub the cashew with a can of cocounut cream or a store-bought vegan cream like you’d mention, do I cancel the vegetable broth since that’s what I would have mix the cashews with?
Thank you for sharing these amazing vegan-friendly recipes.
Yes, you can omit the vegetable broth if using a can of coconut cream or other cream. I hope you enjoy the recipe, thank you!
I wanted reply sooner, but thank you Nora for the speedy feedback! Also, it was a hit! I have picky teenagers and they both loved the dish, I just made it again for them last night from their request.
This was so good and delicious. Most time consuming part was halving cherry tomatoes!. Added a dash of smoked paprika for funsies and ended up doubling the cashew cream.
Hi Tim. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for taking time to share your recipe experience as well as your stellar review! Extra cream is always delicious! Wishing you a happy cooking!
Very good. Served it with rice. Would be great with bread and mashed potatoes. I will be making it again. Full of flavors.
Any reason you couldn’t use canned diced tomatoes if you don’t have fresh?!
This looks fantastic!
You could definitely use canned diced tomatoes if needed, no problem! Enjoy!
This was easy to make and absolutely delicious! This is going into the regular rotation-thank you!
You are welcome, Samantha! I’m thrilled that you loved the recipe! Thank YOU for your awesome review! Wishing you happy cooking!
Delicious recipe but I am confused by the ratio of cashews to vegetable broth to create the cashew cream. A half cup of cashews in the blender along with 2 cups of broth does not create a creamy texture at all. Just a watery liquid. I had to find another recipe for cashew cream instead and they all called for about a 2 to 1 ratio of cashews to broth. That did the trick and created a nice creamy sauce. I would make this again for sure.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! I vary the cashews to water ratio depending on the recipe and lots of testing. Here, you have a creamy cashew milk that will make a rich sauce. If using thicker cashew cream, that works too but I would find myself adding extra water or broth to the pan, as cashew cream tends to thicken quickly in a pan with heat, making the overall dish dry. Anyhow, whatever way you prefer is best and I’m happy you liked the recipe.
Can this be frozen for later use? I want to prep a bunch of frozen meals for my daughter and family when the new baby arrives.
Hi Kim. Congratulations on the new baby arriving soon! The prepared recipe will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat with a splash of broth or water to thin the sauce, if needed. Best wishes to you all!
OMG! So creamy and divine! My new favorite!
What do you think of adding a little nutritional yeast to the cashew cream?
Sure, I think that would be good!
This was phenomenal! We’ve been on a Daniel Fast and were struggling with yummy cozy meals that were compliant. I used the cashew cream option and it came out great. Our 8 yr old had two full bowls!
Hi Krystal. I’m so glad you and your family are able to enjoy the recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! Wishing you happy cooking!