Mediterranean White Beans with Tomatoes & Herbs (30-Minute Skillet)
Mediterranean white beans with tomatoes and herbs are an easy 30-minute skillet dinner made with canned cannellini beans. The white beans are simmered in a rich tomato sauce with garlic, white wine, and fresh rosemary. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of fresh lemon and olive oil. Serve this plant-based dinner with crusty bread and a simple salad for a quick dinner.
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How I Developed This White Bean Skillet
While developing this recipe, I had a very specific outcome I wanted to achieve. I wanted the beans to be saucy, almost stew-like, with a thick tomato sauce that could be scooped up with bread.
I tested the recipe with a variety of tomato combinations: fresh, fire-roasted, tomato paste, and sun-dried tomatoes. I thought the sun-dried tomatoes would add pops of sweetness. Instead, the flavor disappeared in the sauce so I omitted that ingredient in testing. In the end, canned tomatoes and tomato paste required less prep work, had clean flavor and were convenient for a weeknight dinner.
To make it a complete meal I served it with crusty bread and a simple green salad. The bread is especially good for scooping up the tomato sauce left at the bottom of the dish.
Eat sinfully, live kindly โค๏ธ
Ruth
What Makes This Recipe Different
Ingredients
Key Ingredient Notes
Cannellini Beans
Cannellini beans are sturdy and hold their shape. They also have a creamy texture, which adds to the wholesomeness of this recipe.
- Substitute: Great Northern beans are the ideal replacement. Garbanzo beans are also a great choice, but note they will add a nutty flavor and firmer texture.
Dry White Wine
White wine adds acidity and balance to the tomato sauce. If you are using wine, use a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or a Chardonnay. But if you’re like me and drink little, use cooking white wine instead.
- Substitution: Replace the wine with 1/3 cup of vegetable broth. Add the very end, add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice.
Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice at the end brings this dish to life and lightens the flavor. In my trials, there was a huge difference in flavor when the lemon juice was added. This is one ingredient you must have.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
1
Prepare the Aromatics
Sautรฉ the onion in a large skillet until softened. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes, and sautรฉ for an additional 30 seconds. Pour in the white wine and simmer until the wine has reduced by half.
2
Build the Sauce
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, oregano, rosemary, salt, and black pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the white beans and let simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes.
3
Finish with Lemon and Serve
Remove the Mediterranean white beans from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top, and serve.
More 30-minute or less dinner recipes….
- Creamy Harissa Chickpeas (20-Minute Dinner)
- Dairy-Free Vegan Pasta Puttanesca (30-Minute Dinner)
- Creamy Tahini Pasta (30-Minute Dinner)
- Vegan Sloppy Joes (20-Minute Dinner)
Pro Tips
- Use a wide skillet to cook dinner a little faster.
- Bloom the tomato paste to deepen the flavor.
- Add the lemon juice at the very end to give this dish a bit of freshness in each bite. This step cannot be missed.
How to Store and Reheat Mediterranean White Beans
- Storing: Let the Mediterranean beans cool to room temperature. Place the beans in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Note that the sauce will continue to thicken while being stored.
- Reheating: Reheat the beans on the stovetop over medium-low heat. If the sauce has become too thick, add a splash of vegetable broth or water and stir.
- Freezing: Let the beans cool, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Mediterranean White Beans
- Warm homemade bread
- Simple Greek lettuce salad (maroulosalata)
- Greek spinach rice (spanakorizo)
- Oven-roasted broccoli
How Did It Go?
I hope you loved this Mediterranean white bean recipe as much as I do! Before you go, please leave me a rating and a comment letting me know how it went.
Mediterranean White Beans with Tomatoes & Herbs (30-Minute Skillet)
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 microplane
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ยผ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- โ cup dry white wine
- 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- โ cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ยผ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ยผ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Aromatics: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onion for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes, and cook for one minute. Stir frequently so the paste darkens and does not burn.
- Deglaze with White Wine: Pour in the white wine and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the wine has reduced by roughly half.
- Build the Sauce: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, oregano, rosemary, salt, and black pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the Beans: Add the white beans and simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Serve: Remove the Mediterranean white beans from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top, and serve.
Notes
- Fresh lemon juice at the end brings this dish to life and lightens the flavor. Do not skip this ingredient.
- Use a wide skillet to cook dinner a little faster.
- Bloom the tomato paste to deepen the flavor.
- Refrigerator Instructions: Let the leftover white beans cool to room temperature. Place the beans in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Note that the sauce will continue to thicken while being stored.
- Reheating Instructions: Reheat the beans on the stovetop over medium-low heat. If the sauce has become too thick, add a splash of vegetable broth or water and stir.
- Freezing Instructions: Let the beans cool, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months.ย