We have a NEW comforting, protein- and fiber-packed dish for your weekly meal plan! This creamy, garlicky skillet meal features white beans, burst cherry tomatoes, and greens cooked in a flavorful cashew cream sauce. Ready in 25 minutes with just 10 ingredients, it’s cozy weeknight perfection!
Pair with pasta or toasted crusty bread for a satisfying meal that will WOW. Let’s make it happen!
This EASY, flavorful recipe starts with a base of sautéed shallot, cherry tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sea salt. The mixture cooks down with white wine for flavor and the tomatoes burst open, becoming saucy and sweet.
Next, we add white beans for protein and fiber (15 grams protein + 11 grams fiber per serving) and continue cooking so the beans soak up the flavors of the sauce. Once the mixture has thickened, cashew cream is added to lend its creamy goodness!
After a few more minutes, the thick, saucy, creamy mixture is ready for a boost of GREENS and herby fresh basil.
We hope you LOVE this Italian white bean skillet meal! It’s:
Creamy
Savory
Satisfying
Quick & easy
Comforting
& SO delicious!
This dish has become an absolute favorite in our kitchens and we can’t wait for you to try it! It’s the perfect weeknight meal paired with pasta or toasted crusty bread! Or if you’re craving more greens or protein, it pairs well with our Garlicky Sautéed Greens, Crispy Baked Tofu with Italian Herbs, or Pesto “Parmesan” Turkey Meatballs.
More White Bean Recipes
- Cheesy Vegan Pizza Beans (30 Minutes!)
- 1-Pot Vegan White Bean Soup
- Lemon and Herb White Bean Dip
- Thyme & White Bean Pot Pies
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Creamy Italian White Bean Skillet Meal (25 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 1 ¼ cup water (plus more for soaking cashews)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, minced (1 shallot yields ~40 g or 1/4 cup)
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, left whole
- 4-5 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced (4-5 cloves garlic yield ~2 ½ Tbsp or 30g)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (we like a lighter white like Sauvignon Blanc // or sub water)
- 2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed (we used cannellini // or sub ~3 cups homemade)
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
FOR SERVING optional
- Pasta or Crusty Bread
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Black pepper
Instructions
- SOAK CASHEWS: Add the cashews to a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water by at least 1-2 inches. Let them soak for ~15 minutes while you get started on the rest of your ingredients.
- Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once warmed, add the olive oil and minced shallot. Sauté for ~2-3 minutes until the shallot is translucent.
- Add the whole cherry tomatoes, sliced garlic, red pepper flakes (optional), and sea salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the white wine (or water) and increase to medium-high heat. Cover the pan and let the tomatoes cook for 5-8 minutes. At this point, the skins on the tomatoes should have blistered. Remove the lid and turn the heat back down to medium. Use the back of your spoon or spatula to smash the tomatoes.
- Add the drained and rinsed white beans and stir, letting them sauté (uncovered) with the tomatoes until most of the liquid has evaporated — about 5 minutes.
- CASHEW CREAM: Meanwhile, drain the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender with the water. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Once the liquid has reduced from your tomatoes and beans, add the cashew cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s a thick, saucy consistency.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach and basil. Let it wilt before serving over pasta or with a side of crusty bread (both optional)! Garnish with an optional sprinkling of vegan parmesan and black pepper! Enjoy hot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
El says
Thanks! We did make this – a half recipe – and used about 3/4 cup heavy cream and 2% milk. It worked out really well, although next time I’ll add some smoked paprika for a little more zing!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, El!
Debnath says
This Creamy Italian White Bean Skillet Meal is an absolute delight! The combination of flavors is spot-on, and the creamy texture of the beans is so satisfying. A quick and easy recipe that is perfect for busy weeknights. Highly recommended!
xoxo!
El says
Very tasty sounding recipe that I’d love to try, however . . . I’m violently allergic to all nuts. I’m not vegan (leaning into vegetarian!), thus not averse to asking a cow to help me out, so what can I use – and how much – in place of the cashew cream? Thanks!
Hi, we think 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups whole milk would probably work. Let us know if you try it!
Marjorie Williams says
Will this be good with butter beans? Should I adjust the recipe at all?
Yes, that would be great!
Erica says
Surprisingly delicious! Very easy to make and enjoyed by all at a dinner I hosted. Some ate theirs with fresh bread, others served over a lentil pasta.
Love that! Thank you for sharing, Erica! xo
Tara says
This was great, I was out of cashews and substituted coconut milk and it was excellent!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Tara! xo
Noelle says
This was delicious! I added nutritional yeast but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
My husband and toddler loved it! Definitely making this again!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Noelle! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Sarah says
I loved this, and it was so easy to make. Had it with bread and my husband and I decided to keep it in rotation. I have never used or made cashew cream before and was amazed at how great it is as a thickener! Great recipe.
Woohoo! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Sarah. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Amanda says
This was awesome!! I would recommend considering a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and double the salt part of the standard recipe. Thank you for another great one MB!!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Amanda! xo
Aisha says
This was delicious! With such simple, unassuming ingredients I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it completely surpassed my expectations! Easy to make, truly creamy and great depth of flavour from the wine. Highly recommend!
Woohoo! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Aisha. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Abigail Scanlon says
Amazing! Even my non vegan family members loved this! Kid approved too. Delicious! I will make this again and again!
YAY! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it, Abigail. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Ingrid says
Love! I made this with a little extra cashew sauce to make it even creamier and added nutritional yeast, absolutely perfect!
Amazing! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Ingrid! xo
Maclean Nash says
My husband and I both loved this recipe! It came together quickly, used ingredient staples, and was super flavourful! I added a bit of nutritional yeast to the cashew cream and that was it!
Definitely will be making again!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modification, Maclean! xo
Janice says
Both myself who is heavily plant based, and my husband who is “plant resistant” loved this recipe. Easy and nutritious! It will be in our rotation regularly. The only adjustments I made were to reduce the oil by half, and used onion instead of shallot.
Amazing! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Janice. Thank you for sharing! xo
Kerry says
I was really excited to make this recipe. It was pretty easy and small list of ingredients was helpful. My husband really liked it. I’m not sure if I’d make it again, though, as I didn’t think it was all that flavourful… If I did I think I’d experiment with adding some meat (maybe turkey mince?) I love the concept though, and clearly lots of people like it, so I could just be the odd one out :o)
Hi Kerry, sorry to hear it wasn’t as flavorful as you were hoping! Did you use water or white wine? White wine will add more flavor. Did you try adjusting salt to taste and/or serving with vegan parmesan cheese? Those should add more flavor as well. Hope that helps!
Terri Potter says
This was delicious – used Rancho Gordo Royal Corona beans and the texture is so creamy between the beans and the cashew cream. Definitely a good comfort meal – and perfect for the rainy shoulder season we’re having right now! Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Terri! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Elaine Pirozzi says
This is like the ultimate comfort food. I made some focaccia and it was an amazing meal. I used fewer tomatoes than the recipe states but I preferred that.
Will 100% make this again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Elaine! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Raelynn says
Amazing flavors and texture. So glad I found this recipe! I ended up subbing 1 can of beans for 1.5 C diced potatoes (which I cooked in water in microwave while following
the rest of the recipe). Also added 2 teaspoons Mexican sugar because my cherry tomatoes weren’t quite ripe enough. A great meal that totally lived up to its description!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Raelynn. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Lene Vinding says
I would like to make this for book club! Is it possible to make the sauce the night before and reheat and add cashew cream/spinach and basil once it’s heated? Or what would you suggest? Can’t wait to try it! Thank you.
Hi Lene! That sounds like it would work well! Hope you and your guests enjoy. xo
Colleen says
This was really quick to make and just yummy. I only made a half recipe as there are only two of us, and added a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste that I had leftover. Thanks for another tasty and simple recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Colleen! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Hudson Valley John says
Wonderful! My daughter and I teamed up on this tonight and we loved it. It was my first creamy cashew sauce, and won’t be the last. Our only modification, after realizing we did not have fresh basil, was a couple of tablespoons of vegan pesto from a jar that i recently purchased at a local farm store. We will be making this again!
Ooo yum! Thanks so much for the great review, John. So glad you both enjoyed!
Sage says
This was awesome! I did 1/4 cup of minced onion instead of shallot, because that was all I had. I used white cooking wine in place of dry white wine. My white bean of choice was navy. I served it with pasta which was good.
Woohoo! Sounds delish. Thanks so much for the great review, Sage!
Nicole says
This recipe is a good base for pasta/rice but I’ll definitely be adding a few extra herbs/spices next time since it was a little bland. Maybe it just needed a bit more pepper/salt and/or red pepper flakes. Really easy and filling, though!
We’re glad you enjoyed it overall, Nicole. Thanks for sharing! xo
Em says
I was drawn to this for the ease, and will return to it for the yum!
I honestly didn’t expect it to be so creamy and flavorful and happily ate many servings on it’s own! Excited to make again and maybe change up flavors. Another hit out of the park!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Em! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Janet says
I had my meal planned, but when this one popped into my Inbox I just had to give it a go as it looked and sounded so yummy (and easy!). It lived up to all the great reviews, it was easy, quick and absolutely delicious. Meat loving hubby enjoyed it too. I halved the recipe as there were only the two of us, but served it with spaghetti to make it more of a meal. Yet again another MB successful recipe – thank you for the regular recipes, I am loving trying them out.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Janet. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Merry Soellner says
I made this recipe just as it was written (I often add or delete ingredients), and it was a really great dinner. My husband even liked it, and he’s pretty much a meat-and-potatoes guy. Very flavorful and satisfying. I served over a small serving of whole grain pasta. Delicious!
Woohoo! So glad you both enjoyed this recipe, Merry. Thanks for the lovely review!
Colleen says
Awesome recipe! I used Eden garbanzo beans and chopped arugula and pea shoots as alternates because it’s what I had. Amazing- thank you for another yummy thing to make!
Sounds delish! Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Colleen!
Maneesha says
I made this tonight and absolutely loved it! I added some freshly chopped parsley and basil, as well as some dried oregano and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Thank you so much for a stellar recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Maneesha! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Vanessa Perry says
So so good! I didn’t read the recipe closely enough and only had about two cups of fresh tomatoes so I used a can of fire roasted to supplement. Still delicious – hubby and four year old both loved it!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Vanessa! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Suz says
I wanted to add an update on leftovers. Heated on stove top with a splash of water to assist with steaming…this worked very well. The cashew cream sauce remained creamy overnight & did not bind up like cement as so many other recipes do (not referring to this site)!
I also added the Italian seasoned tofu from this site & it took this meal to an entirely different level. The tofu is so good. I used only 2tbsps of oil & the tofu turned out well.
This a very filling meal…did I mention delicious !?
I will also try freezing a portion for later use as it makes a lot for one person.
Personally a small salad or steamed veg would be a great side as the meal is heavy.
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Suz!
Milena Wales says
Absolutely loved this!
I couldn’t make the cashew cream due to lack of a blender, and so I used crème fraiche.
Also, I added a tablespoon of tomato purée + a pinch of sugar to caramelise because I used tinned tomatoes. Fried these once the onions were translucent and having swirled the chilli powder around in the oil.
Overall it was delicious!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Milena! Thanks so much for sharing. xo
Suz says
This is keeper! Very tasty & quick to make. This recipe saved me from eating a bag of crackers for dinner as I had had a long day & arrived home hungry. 🤣🤣 I had all the ingredients except for fresh basil…made due with dry & was still ok.
Thnx much appreciated. Give it a try everyone.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Suz. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Lindy says
definitely took me longer than 25 mins but so worth it! I’m grateful for a creamy sauce with cashews that doesn’t taste strongly of cashew or nutritional yeast. this sauce is really well balanced and delicious!! I did end up playing with the ingredients to get it just right for my taste, so added extra wine and basil toward the end. It’s great with minimalist baker vegan parm on top as well!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lindy. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Joan says
Yummy! I used Roma tomatoes chopped in large pieces and 2 tablespoons of basil pesto since I didn’t have fresh basil. We loved it! Thanks so much!
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Joan!
Maria says
This recipe tastes as amazing as it smells!! Super fun to make :) it definitely did not take me 25 minutes since I think I might have put extra tomato’s so it took a while for the liquid to evaporate and ended up being about an hour. Nonetheless, it’s packed with flavor. Thank you!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Maria! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Lisa says
Is there another nut or substitute for cashews? My kiddo is allergic.
Hi Lisa, light coconut milk should work, but there will definitely be a slight coconut flavor!
Margo says
I’m all smiles. This was my first time making cashew cream and it was a smashing success with this perfect recipe….A winner! The cannellini beans + tomatoes = Fabulous together. Excellent with Italian bread and a glass of chardonnay. Cheers to MB once again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Margo. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Running Renner says
This was SO good!!! Even my carnivore husband voted to put it in our rotation! Thanks for a great recipe!!
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Cristina says
My daughter has an anaphylaxis allergy to cashew…would you sub sunflower seeds for cashews or would you do coconut milk (can)? Same amount?
Hi Cristina, we think the same amount of light coconut milk should be good!
Laura says
How much is the “same amount” (in the original recipe)?
Hi Laura, in the original recipe the cashews get blended with 1 1/4 cups water, so if you use coconut milk we’d suggest using 1 1/4-1/2 cups. Hope this helps!
Dina says
Sounds delicious! Would this work with frozen cherry tomatoes (still have some from my garden in the freezer)?
It should, yes! Let us know how it goes!
MerryMary says
I always have containers of grape tomatoes in my freezer and can attest that they work very well in applications like this – no need to thaw (just add a smidge more time for cooking). So glad I’m not the only one who freezes leftover garden bounty!
Tiziana says
Just saw it while trying to think something up for lunch tomorrow, and had to give this a go. Feels so cozy and summery at once, thanks to the addition of fresh basil and tomatoes :) my flat smells amazing now! Followed the recipe as is – just added a teaspoon of Marmite at the end for a little salty, umami kick (that’s been a bit of an obsession of mine lately). Thank you for yet another great recipe 🙌
Yum! Thanks so much for the great review, Tiziana. We’re so glad you enjoyed!
Alex says
Hi! How much water do I blend with the cashews to made the cream?
1 1/4 cups!
annette says
how much water for the cashew cream is that in metric?!
Hi Annette, it’s 300 ml of water to blend with the cashews.
annette says
thank you ! so just to be certain, you throw the soaking water away and then use the same amount to make the cream ?
You can soak the cashews with any amount of water as long as it covers them. Then toss out the soaking water and add the cashews with 300 ml of water to your blender! Hope you enjoy! xo
Emily says
Looks amazing, I can’t wait to try! What measurement of heavy cream would I use if I want to sub the cashew cream? Thank you!!
Thanks Emily! We would suggest starting with 3/4 cup and adding more as needed! Hope you enjoy. xo