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. Simmer the white beans in a rich tomato sauce with garlic, white wine, and fresh rosemary. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of fresh lemon and a drizzle of 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 in mind. I wanted the beans to be saucy, almost stew-like, with a thick tomato sauce you could scoop 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, their flavor disappeared in the sauce, so I left them out of the test. 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. If you have extra white beans, try making my piyaz recipe.
- Substitute: Great Northern beans are the ideal replacement. Garbanzo beans are also a great choice, but they add a nutty flavor and a firmer texture.
Dry White Wine
White wine adds acidity and balance to the tomato sauce. If you are using wine, use aย Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or a Chardonnay. But if you’re like me and drink little, use cooking white wine instead.ย
- Substitution: Replace the wine with 1/3 cup of vegetable broth. Add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice at the very end.
Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice at the end brings this dish to life and lightens the flavor. In my trials, the flavor changed dramatically when I added the lemon juice. 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, then sautรฉ for 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, then reduce 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 with fresh parsley 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 for 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 a rating and a comment to let 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, 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 with 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 as it sits.
- 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