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.
Made this for the first time tonight for my husband and two young children. We served it with rice pilaf and toasted crusty bread on the side. This meal not only looks beautiful but is very filling and delicious! It checks all of our boxes: relatively quick, easy cleanup, good protein, kid friendly. It has a mild heat to it from the red pepper flakes and basil that even my 1.5 year old didn’t mind. Thank you for another knockout recipe Nora!
You are welcome, Sarah! Thank YOU for using and loving my recipes! I appreciate your awesome review, and your comments sharing all the things you love about the recipe! Your meal sounds delicious! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
This looks great.
However, I’m allergic to cashews.
Are there substitutions that can be made?
Yes, you can use something else for creaminess. Skip the step of soaking the cashews and blending with the broth, and simply add 1/2 cup or a little more of vegan creamer (like an unsweetened coffee creamer, such as Ripple Half and Half or another kind) or even unsweetened almond or soy milk. You could also stir in 1/2 cup or so of full fat coconut milk. There are many options. Enjoy!
Absolutely delicious! This is going to join Marry Me Chickpeas as one of our staples!
Hi Suzanne. I’m so excited that you found two new recipes to add to your meal rotation list! Thank you for taking time to share your great review! Wishing you happy cooking!
Delish!!!! This meal is hardy, tasty and very satisfying. We had it with crusty bread and it was the perfect winter meal. Certainly going to be a regular in our household. Thank you for sharing your wonderful creations.
You are welcome, Melanie! Your meal with crusty bread sounds delicious, and I agree, it is a perfect winter meal! Thanks for your glowing review and comments! I appreciate you using my recipe and wish you lots of happy cooking!
WOW! So delicious it’s unreal! We added some sundried tomatoes since tomatoes aren’t in season. It was soo good we’re making it again tonight!
Hi Gina. I’m so glad you love the recipe! It is cozy and delicious for sure! Thank you for sharing your awesome review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Fantastic! I used coconut milk to make it easier but this is a great delicious recipe
I chose this recipe as my vegan son is visiting. Also I am short of iron and it contains white beans, spinach, and cashews which have high iron content. I put the cashews in a food mixer first but it didn’t grind them enough so I changed to a stick blender which worked well. I haven’t eaten it yet, but it looks really tasty! I think he will be very impressed.
Hi Kirstie. Thank you for choosing my recipe as a meal choice for your company! It sounds delicious and I hope that you both enjoy it! Thank you for taking time to share your cooking experience! I hope you have a wonderful visit with your son!
That was delicious and so easy! I served it with pasta and everyone loved it!
Thank you, Nicole, for taking time to share your glowing review and feedback! I’m so glad that the recipe was a hit with everyone!
Really tasty. I had some roasted tomatoes in fridge, so pureed with the cashews, and doubled the spinach.
Thank you for sharing your stellar review and recipe experience, Stephanie! I’m so glad that you loved the recipe!
This was so good! Tasted like a margarita pizza. I made extra to freeze for later and will definitely be making this again!
Hi Lauren. Thanks for sharing your great review and feedback! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! It’s always a plus to have another meal in the freezer for later! Happy cooking!
This recipe is so easy and delicious! It’s the perfect one pan dish that I need while living in short-term housing and lacking my usual pots and pans selection. Fantastic with some crusty bread!
Hi Meredith! I’m thrilled that you are loving the recipe! You nailed it, it’s perfect with crusty bread! Thank you for sharing your terrific review! Wishing you happy cooking!
We have recently discovered your website and have been loving all your dishes. I think this one is my favourite so far! Made it with cashew cream as you recommended and man it’s good! Haven’t tried it with coconut cream but don’t think I want to risk it being less tasty! Cherry tomatoes are still a bit pricey at the moment so did half cherry tomatoes, half drained canned tomatoes and it worked a treat ☺️
Hi Hayley. Welcome to my site! I’m so glad that you are enjoying my recipes! I appreciate your glowing review and great recipe feedback! Please reach out with any questions you may have! Enjoy your journey through my recipes, and happy cooking!
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you!!
My favorite soup! Bought bulk cannellinis so I can make this whenever I want. Lots of greens & cherry tomatoes in the garden now. Perfect timing! Thank you.
You are welcome, Deb! I’m so thrilled that you are loving the recipe! I’m sure that the fresh garden vegetables bump the flavor up even more! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Can you use roasted cashews if that’s all you have?
Sure, you could if needed. Enjoy!
Your recipes never disappoint!! This is a VERY tasty dish!!
Thank you, Beverly! I appreciate your terrific review, and for using my recipes! Happy cooking!
we loooove this recipe! i made it with the coconut cream and a second time with the cashew cream and i served it over quinoa 😋but the cashew cream turned out very watery and was not smooth no matter how long i blended it. i just had to cook it longer to thicken up. can you give me any help with this? thanks so much!!!
Hi Beverly, I’m so glad you love the recipe! For the cashew cream, do you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix? A regular blender just can’t get cashew cream smooth enough unfortunately. If you don’t have one, I’d stick to cashew cream or even another store-bought vegan cream.
Really good!! I’m still learning about vegan cooking and this was definitely a win for me. I didn’t have enough cherry tomatoes so I drained a can of diced tomatoes and tossed them in. Thanks for this recipe!
This was a terrific recipe. Added a touch of Worcestershire and coconut aminos and a T of nutritional yeast. Also upped onion and garlic a bit. I know a wonderful recipe when I see one and this was one but I also know the tweaks that will work for my wife and me. So good. Loved this.
Hi Scott. Thank you for sharing your recipe ideas and great feedback! I’m glad that you loved the recipe! Wishing you happy cooking!
This was SOOOO GOOD! I used a full onion and doubled the garlic. Definitely will make again
Hi Shanda. I’m thrilled that you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
This was one of the best gourmet bean skillets that I’ve tried yet! So easy to make too! I love how creamy this is combined with the juicy cherry tomatoes. This is a great recipe.
Hi Courtney. How awesome that you tried the recipe, and loved it! Thank you for sharing your terrific review and feedback!
Wow. This is really, really good.
Thank you.
Does this freeze well? Looks so delicious and
Hi Margie. 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. Thank you for using my recipes, and I hope you enjoy! Happy cooking!
So delicious! Really liked the cashew cream. Nice and easy. I served it over rice with French bread. Thank you!
Will definitely make again.
Hi Mary. Your meal sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and feedback! I’m thrilled that you loved the recipe! Happy cooking!
Made this for dinner and it was delicious! I didn’t have any broth on hand so used water and extra seasoning, otherwise followed as is. Very simple to make.
Hi Halley. I’m thrilled that you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your cooking experience and glowing review!
This recipe was absolutely amazing! The combination of ingredients made for a truly restaurant-worthy meal. I will definitely be making this often. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would!
Hi Linda. Thank you for taking time to share your stellar review and feedback! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! Happy cooking!
Delicious, easy, and quick! I loved it. I left out the Parmesan as I didn’t have any and it was still wonderful.
Hi Elizabeth. Thank you for taking time to share your glowing review and feedback! I’m glad you loved the recipe!