Italian
Garlicky White Beans and Greens
Cannellini beans simmer with garlic, chili, and greens until the broth turns silky. It is a vegetarian skillet that tastes like more than the can it came from.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 23 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- No meat and no long simmer.
- Lemon at the end keeps the beans from tasting dull.
- One skillet.
- It is filling enough for dinner with bread on the side.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Rough grocery estimate for the full recipe: about $7–10 at a typical US supermarket. Prices vary by store, region, and season.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Warm the oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in a 12-inch skillet over medium until the garlic smells sweet, about 1 minute. Do not let it brown hard.
- 2
Add the beans, broth, and salt. Simmer 8 minutes, until the liquid looks slightly thick.
- 3
Mash a spoonful of beans against the side of the pan to make the broth creamy.
- 4
Add the spinach in handfuls and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes.
- 5
Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and black pepper.
- 6
Spoon into bowls and finish with parmesan.
Pro tips
- Sliced garlic is gentler than minced here. Minced burns before the beans warm.
- If you use kale, add it with the broth so it has time to soften.
- Taste the salt after the cheese. Parmesan is salty.
Easy substitutions
- Spinach
- A small bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped.
- Cannellini
- Chickpeas.
- Parmesan
- A drizzle of olive oil to keep it dairy-free.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days.
Reheating
Warm in a skillet with a splash of broth. The spinach will be softer the next day, which is fine.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop, One Pan · Vegetarian
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
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An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
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A sharp chef’s knife
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A large cutting board
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Dry cups and a liquid cup
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An instant-read thermometer
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