Flavourful and fast, this easy white bean skillet with zucchini and tomatoes is tossed with a yummy, herby sauce. A complete plant-based dinner in 20 minutes!
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Looking for a 20 minute dinner that feels special? You’ve come to the right place my friend. Because I live for this kind of meal: plenty of plants but minimal chopping, tons of flavour and a nice crusty loaf of sourdough to help you scoop it allllll up.
Whether you’re looking to add more meatless meals to your rotation, or you’re wondering what the heck you’re going to do with all those canned beans you bought, this easy white bean skillet (use any white bean you want!) feels like comfort and is so, so nourishing.
Now, about that sauce: there are a LOT of Tuscan white bean thingies on the internet but I was like, what about a little Moroccan flavour? In two minutes, you can whizz up a speedy green sauce in the food processor that’s inspired by chermoula, a North African herb sauce made with fresh cilantro and mint and a bunch of spices. No, it doesn’t taste like cilantro but if you’re one of those who is genetically destined to taste soap then no worries, just sub flat leaf parsley!
On the nutrition side, lemme put my dietitian hat on for a sec and tell you that this one’s a winner winner bean-y dinner (I couldn’t help myself ha ha). I’ve used a bigger serving of white beans than some other recipes for more plant-based protein.
Plus it’s packed with veggies so it’s a complete plant-based dinner with filling fibre and a ton of antioxidant phyto-chemicals from the herbs and spices in the sauce. Vegan, gluten free and nut free so everyone can enjoy it…including my meat loving husband, who is not always inclined to a big bowl o’ beans but gobbles this one up! If you wanna take it up another notch, it would be delicious with my super easy vegan parmesan, which is made with almonds in like 5 minutes flat.
Just how good-for-you are white beans? A ¾ cup serving of navy beans contains 11g of protein, 8.5g of fibre, almost 100mg of calcium and 3mg of iron! You’ll be eating just over a cup of white beans in each serving of this recipe, for 17g of plant-based protein and 13g of fibre.
And if you like this recipe, I think you just might love my latest plant-based cookbook, Plant Magic. It’s filled with fun and flavourful recipes for all eaters, from the plant curious to the plant-based.
How to make this epic white bean dinner in 20 minutes
First things first: grab those ingredients! The full ingredient list is in the recipe card below but let’s talk strategy as you write your grocery list.
- Now, I LOVE making this skillet with butter beans because they keep their shape and feel substantial as the main event but you can totally use any white bean you want, from navy to cannellini to white kidney bean. You do you. Got home-cooked beans on hand? You’ll need 4 ½ cups of cooked white beans.
- For the tomatoes, try to get the plumpest, juiciest cherry tomatoes you can get. While I like grape tomatoes for salads, they don’t have as much moisture as cherry tomatoes so you don’t get that nice jammy texture.
- As I mentioned, if you aren’t into cilantro, sub flat leaf parsley instead.
- While you’re at it, pick a side: I love eating this with sourdough bread but it would be just as yummy with roasted potatoes, rice or pasta. Use what you’ve got on hand!
I love that this recipe uses ingredients easily available all year round but will be even more special when summer hits. No oven to turn on either. Start by whipping up the chermoula-style herb sauce in your food processor. A bullet blender would also work.
Next, you’re going to cook up the zucchini, shallot, tomatoes in the skillet. These step by step photos will show you how it’s done…but again, the full detailed recipe is below!
Finally, add in the beans and let that sauce melt into the skillet and you have a nice little white bean dinner that feels like a hug on the inside.
More nourishing meals using canned beans
White Bean Skillet with Speedy Herb Sauce
Flavourful and fast, this easy white bean skillet with zucchini and tomatoes is tossed with a speedy herb sauce. A complete plant-based dinner in 20 minutes!
White Bean Skillet
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini, diced, about 3 cups
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
- ½ cup water
- 3 14 oz cans white beans, I like butter beans, but use any kind!
Chermoula-inspired herb sauce
- 2 cups lightly packed cilantro, leaves and tender stems, about 1 bunch
- ½ cup lightly packed mint leaves
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika, or try smoked paprika!
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
In a small food processor or bullet blender, add the cilantro, mint, garlic, coriander, salt, cumin, paprika, chile flakes, oil and lemon juice and blitz until it looks like a thick, loose pesto. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and add zucchini. Let cook mostly undisturbed, turning once, until browned about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the cherry tomatoes and shallots and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add water and let it simmer for 3 minutes then use the back of your spatula to carefully press the tomatoes to help them burst.
Turn heat down to medium low, add the white beans and sauce and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty sourdough bread.
Don’t love cilantro? Use flat leaf parsley!
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