Creamy 'Marry Me' White Beans (15 Minutes, One Pot)

Gold spoon in a pan with creamy sundried tomato white beans, with a small dish of white beans in the background.

5 from 16 votes

Creamy 'Marry Me' White Beans (15 Minutes, One Pot)

Creamy, garlicky, and perfect for scooping up with warm bread, these 'Marry Me' white beans turn a couple of cans of beans into a gorgeous dinner. Buttery white beans are coated in a rich parmesan cream sauce with tangy sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, then get a drizzle of spicy chili oil to finish. Ready in 15 minutes, made in one pot, it's quick, cozy comfort food for any day of the week.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course, vegetarian

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: creamy white beans, parmesan white beans, sundried tomato beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar or olive oil
1 small onion finely diced
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon chili flakes or red pepper flakes
½ cup cream regular heavy cream, sour cream or your favorite plant-based alternative
2 cans of white beans 400g/14oz each, or use jarred white beans (I prefer this for the best texture and flavor if you can find them)
½ cup finely grated parmesan plus another 1 tablespoon to garnish
2 cups spinach leaves chopped
Water or vegetable stock to loosen sauce, if needed
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 skillet 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 sun-dried tomatoes and cream.
Add ½ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon chili flakes or red pepper flakes. Stir, then pour in ½ 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 - it’s like pasta water in that way - but if you want to drain your beans, you'll need to add roughly ½ cup of water or stock to loosen up the sauce). Add ½ 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.

Notes

INGREDIENT SWAPS: 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: 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).

Nutrition