Creamy One Pot Sundried Tomato White Beans Recipe
A creamy, flavorful one-pot white bean dish featuring sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, thyme, and spinach, finished with parmesan and a drizzle of chili oil. This ‘Marry Me’ white beans recipe offers a comforting and hearty meal perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, with a luscious sauce made from the starchy bean liquid and cream.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Base
- 1 tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
Flavorings
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (or red pepper flakes)
Dairy and Beans
- ½ cup cream (regular heavy cream, sour cream or your favorite plant-based alternative)
- 2 cans of white beans (400g/14oz each), with liquid
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan, plus 1 tablespoon to garnish
Vegetables and Garnishes
- 2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili oil, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the onion and garlic: Heat 1 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil in a high-sided pan over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and 1 teaspoon salt, cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add crushed garlic cloves and stir through the onion.
- Add sundried tomatoes and cream: Stir in ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon chili flakes. Pour in ½ cup cream and stir until evenly combined.
- Add the white beans: Add the white beans with their liquid to the pan, helping create a rich sauce with starchy bean juice. Stir in ½ cup grated parmesan and simmer for about 5 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce.
- Add the spinach: Scatter chopped spinach leaves into the pan and mix through the beans until wilted and reduced in size. Add freshly ground black pepper and adjust salt to taste.
- Garnish and serve: Drizzle chili oil over the beans and sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top. Serve hot, ideally with fresh bread for scooping up the sauce.
Notes
- You can use regular heavy cream, sour cream, or any plant-based cream alternative depending on dietary preference.
- If you prefer a less spicy dish, reduce or omit the chili flakes and chili oil.
- Using the liquid from the white beans helps create a luscious, silky sauce similar to using pasta water in pasta dishes.
- Fresh spinach wilts quickly, so add it right before finishing the dish.
- Serve with crusty bread varieties such as no-knead chili cheese focaccia, rosemary parmesan bread, or garlic flatbreads for an enhanced experience.
