Creamy, garlicky, and packed with flavor – these ‘Marry Me’ white beans are a high-protein twist on gnocchi, made in one pot and ready in just 15 minutes. Buttery white beans are coated in a rich parmesan cream sauce with tangy sun-dried tomatoes, then finished with a drizzle of spicy chili oil. Itโs the easiest, dreamiest weeknight dinner. Comforting, quick, and perfect for cozy nights in.
Say hello to the ultimate comfort in a bowl. I like to think of this as a high-protein, creamy gnocchi dupe, and honestly? It might be even better than gnocchi. My boyfriend (who swears a bowl of beans isnโt a real meal) absolutely loves this recipe and always goes back for seconds.
Iโve even had someone tell me their super-picky 12-year-old loved it too, so if thatโs not a solid endorsement, I donโt know what is.
If you’ve had creamy Tuscan chicken or the original, viral ‘Marry Me’ chicken, think of these lovely creamy ‘Marry Me’ white beans as the vegetarian version. Same cozy, indulgent flavor, just without the meat. Youโve got that rich, garlicky parmesan cream sauce laced with sun-dried tomatoes, and a handful of baby spinach for a pop of green. I always finish the beans with a drizzle of spicy chili oil – it cuts through the creaminess and adds just the right amount of heat. Highly recommend if you like a little kick.
And while the name ‘Marry Me’ will never be my favorite, I am obsessed with this flavor combo. If you’re into these creamy, umami-packed, tomato-and-garlic vibes, try some of my other Marry Me-inspired recipes:
- One-pot ‘Marry Me’ chickpeas (super similar!)
- ‘Marry Me’ crispy rice salad
- One-pot ‘Marry Me’ chicken gnocchi
- One-pot ‘Marry Me’ orzo
- Oozy, creamy ‘Marry Me’ chicken dip
- Speedy ‘Marry Me’ chicken pasta
“Iโve made these twice now! Omg, I want to marry myself. Lol, Iโm vegetarian so I use vegetarian Asiago with a rosemary and olive oil rind. I throw the whole damn slice in! Xoxo” – Karen โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Why You’ll Love These ‘Marry Me’ White Beans
- Made in one-pot so there’s minimal washing up (I even love serving the beans straight from the skillet!)
- Takes just 15 minutes to come together.
- Uses easy-to-find ingredients, and you might already have most of them on hand.
- A quicker, vegetarian version of a viral recipe.
- PACKED with fiber and protein – helping to keep you full for longer.
- Brilliant for meal prep – the beans reheat like a dream and freeze well.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- White beans. Fiber-filled and delicious, these guys are a protein POWERHOUSE. You can use canned beans because they’re cheaper, but I love jarred ones for superior flavor. I’m using butter beans here, but you can use chickpeas, cannellini beans or even Kidney beans if that’s what you can find.
- Cream. Regular heavy cream is fine, or use sour cream for a little more tang. You can also absolutely use your favorite plant-based cream – I’ve had lots of readers tell me they’ve used oat cream, coconut cream, or thick coconut milk, and it’s worked perfectly.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. Try to look for semi-dried tomatoes in olive oil for their superior texture and flavor (they’re a little softer), but regular sun-dried tomatoes will be absolutely fine. I also love using the marinating oil from the jar to cook with and use it in this dish. You can also use sun-dried tomato pesto as a little shortcut.
- Chili flakes. Skip these if you’re worried about the beans being spicy, or reduce the quantity to 1/2 a teaspoon.
How to Make ‘Marry Me’ Beans
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the creamy beans – you’ll find the full ingredient quantities and directions at the bottom of the page.
1. Cook your diced onion until it’s nice and soft, then add the garlic.
2. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, dried herbs and chili flakes. Stir them through the onion and garlic.
3. Pour in the cream, white beans and the parmesan. Stir to combine.
4. Simmer the beans for a few minutes to thicken up, then scatter your spinach leaves on top.
5. Stir the spinach through the creamy beans so the leaves wilt into the sauce. Add black pepper and more salt if it needs it (taste to check).
6. Drizzle with lots of lovely chili oil and more parmesan to serve.
Watch How to Make Them
‘Marry Me’ Beans FAQs
You can! Much like pasta, the beans will continue to absorb liquid when they’re sitting in the sauce, so if you’re reheating them, you’ll need to add a little water to loosen things up – start with a couple of tablespoons. You can heat this in the microwave for a couple of minutes, stirring halfway through, or reheat it on the stovetop. They also freeze brilliantly.
You could use any other bean – chickpeas (garbanzos) would be delicious, as would any other white bean (like cannellini, great northern or Navy beans) or even Kidney beans.
Yes! I’ve had readers have fabulous results using coconut milk, coconut cream, oat cream, cashew or almond cream for a dairy-free version. You could also skip the parmesan or use a vegan alternative (nutritional yeast works well too).
A non-negotiable for me is some lovely fresh bread on the side for dipping. I recommend this gorgeous no-knead chili cheese focaccia or no-knead rosemary parmesan bread, or you could quickly make some two-ingredient dough garlic flatbreads. They also pair well with more protein – try it with miso grilled chicken, honey harissa grilled chicken, sticky gochujang chicken, miso grilled salmon or even this juicy herb-roasted chicken.
Any other leafy green will work well – try kale or chard – or you can throw in other greens like chopped broccoli, asparagus or even frozen peas.
Like This Recipe? Try These Quick Meals Next
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day ๐.
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Creamy One Pot Sundried Tomato White Beans (‘Marry Me’ White Beans)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Creamy, garlicky, and packed with flavor – these ‘Marry Me’ white beans are a high-protein twist on gnocchi, made in one pot and ready in just 15 minutes. Buttery white beans are coated in a rich parmesan cream sauce with tangy sun-dried tomatoes, then finished with a drizzle of spicy chili oil. Itโs the easiest, dreamiest weeknight dinner. Comforting, quick, and perfect for cozy nights in.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (or red pepper flakes)
- 1/2 cup cream (regular heavy cream, sour cream or your favorite plant-based alternative)
- 2 cans of white beans (400g/14oz each)
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan, plus another 1 tablespoon to garnish
- 2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili oil, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the onion and garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato oil in a high-sided pan over medium heat, then add the diced onion and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, for about five minutes or until the onion is soft and starting to change color (it’ll look more transparent). Add the crushed garlic cloves and stir through the onion.
- Add sundried tomatoes and cream. Add ยฝ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon of chili flakes or red pepper flakes. Stir, then pour in ยฝ cup of cream and stir again.
- Add the white beans. Add the white beans with their liquid (using the starchy bean juice is a great trick to create a luscious sauce – itโs like pasta water in that way – but if you want to drain your beans, you’ll need to add a little water to loosen up the sauce). Add ยฝ cup of grated parmesan, then stir again. Simmer the beans for about five minutes to thicken the sauce slightly.
- Add the spinach. Scatter your spinach leaves into the pan, then mix them through the beans (they’ll wilt and reduce in size drastically). Add a nice grind of black pepper and then taste, and add a little more salt if it needs it.
- Garnish and serve. Finish by drizzling the chili oil all over the beans, then scatter over the remaining parmesan. Serve while hot, with fresh bread for mopping up the lovely sauce (no-knead chili cheese focaccia, no-knead rosemary parmesan bread, or two-ingredient dough garlic flatbreads are great options).
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES: You can use cannellini beans, chickpeas (garbanzos), haricot beans, or even kidney beans. Leave out the chili flakes and chili oil if you’re cooking for kids or you’re sensitive to spice. Use sour cream if you like – you’ll want to add a little more water (or stock) if you do, as sour cream tends to be thicker than regular cream.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: You can make the beans in advance, but they’ll keep absorbing liquid the longer they sit in it. Add a little water (start with 2 tablespoons) when you heat them up – you can heat them in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through or on the stovetop. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. They also freeze well.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:ย You could swap out the spinach for kale, chard, or even chopped broccoli, asparagus, or frozen peas. Adding a big handful of fresh basil leaves at the end is always a good idea. For even more protein, you could serve the beans with grilled miso chicken, honey harissa chicken, or sticky gochujang chicken. You could also stir shredded cooked chicken through the beans to serve (it’s a great way to use leftovers from a rotisserie chicken or juicy herb-roasted chicken).
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: vegetarian
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 615
- Sugar: 5.6g
- Sodium: 1726.7mg
- Fat: 24.2g
- Saturated Fat: 10.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 70.2g
- Fiber: 19.6g
- Protein: 32.9g
- Cholesterol: 41.4mg
omg, this is sooo good! canโt believe I havenโt done that before! I switched to vegan options with almond cream and yeast flakes and I loved every bite. Thank you so much!
Yayyyyy I’m so happy you loved!! The flavour are just sooooooooo delicious right?? x
Hi! What do you serve with these? Thank you!
Hi Maria! Truly you don’t really need anything other than some bread to mop up the sauce with – it’s lovely and filling. I love focaccia, or flatbreads x
Hi. Do we have any nutritional info for this recipe??
Hi Judy, I will add it in now! ๐
This is one if the best recipes Iโve seen regarding white beans
These are delicious Kate! A lovely comforting bowl of goodness!
Yayyyy, so happy you loved Anna-Marie xx
This is so good I made a second batch as soon as I finished the first! It’s so rich and satisfying and reheats well for later.
LOVE this!!! Right – it’s such a great one to make ahead for the week x
This was delicious! Could I sub Greek yogurt for the cream? Trying to b โค๏ธ healthy.
Yayyyy I’m so pleased you enjoyed!! You can – try to use full-fat yogurt if you can – it may split with the heat which will make the texture a little different, but it’ll still taste great x
Just wanted to share that I’ve used soy cashew cream instead of real cream, added lots of fresh basil on top and it was delicious on the day. Plus I recently reheated a container I froze and it was also delicious. Wonderful to find such a healthy, delicious, affordable meal that freezes so well too! I’ve made it for others and I’m frequently asked for the recipe!
Thank you again.
Ahhh Toria this is just the best thing to hear!! So so happy you loved it ๐ I LOVE that cashew cream AND that freezing worked so well for you too, that’s always such a bonus isn’t it xx
Have you ever tried freezing these?
Iโve made them several times and love them! Iโd love to make a big batch if it freezes well
I haven’t tried freezing them but I suspect they’d freeze well! I’ll have to give it a try to know for sure, but I think it’s worth the risk ๐ So happy you’ve been enjoying them x
What would be a good substitute for the chili oil?
You could use dollops of pesto, or a drizzle of olive oil ๐
My wife canโt do tomatoes. Do you think roasted red pepper or pimentos could be substituted for the sun dried tomatoes?
Oh 100% you could use them! Would be a lovely swap x
I canโt wait to try this. Is this a dish you can serve over rice?
You could for sure if you like!
Iโve made these twice now! Omg I want to marry myself. Lol Iโm vegetarian do I use vegetarian Asiago with rosemary and olive oil rind. I throw the whole damn slice in! Xoxo
Funny comment!!
Do you have to drain the bold beans?? Or just chuck all in?
You can do either and either way works – throwing it all in will make it saucier which I like but it’s up to you!
I made this and it was so comforting and delicious. I made a few swaps: Dried oregano instead of thyme and I used soy cashew cream instead of heavy cream and it was delicious and looked super creamy. I made the white beans from scratch so I used several ladles of their water I boiled the beans in to loosen up the saucce as I found out the dish dried very quickly after removal from heat. Healthy, affordable, comforting and not too time consuming. Thank you.
Thank you! Just made these tonight using vegan Parmesan and Oat Milk. Not quite as creamy as regular cream but DELICIOUS
Yesss I love oat milk!! It works so well, agree xx
So delicious, easy and full of protein and fibre. Itโs on repeat in our house. A great option for a meat free dinner. Filling and satisfying. We had it with sourdough toast. YUM!
Excellent and easy. I think I will use less cream or sub in Greek yogurt in an attempt to lighten it up – but so yummy as written.
Dรฉlicieux!
I make this all the time. I add chicken to make it just a little harder for the guys.
Yayyy I’m so happy to hear that Crystal!! Chicken is a great addition xx Kate
Amazing recipe, so delicious. I have made these countless times, always a success. My secret ingredient is a little bit of white vinegar towards the end – I find it cuts through the richness of the cream and gives a little extra to the flavour profile.
Hi Anna! Ahhhh love to hear that ๐ And brilliant tip re: the vinegar too x Kate
Wow, Kate, I made this tonight and it was so so good ๐๐๐ It was the first of your recipes I tried and now I want to make all of them ๐ Thank you so much and best wishes from Germany (where I’ll tell everybody about you โบ๏ธ)
Conni
Hi Conni! I’m so happy to hear this ๐ What a lovely message to read – let me know if you end up trying anything else xx