Smoky White Beans with Roasted Tomatoes

These smoky white beans are cooked with delicious spices and spinach and topped with perfectly roasted tomatoes. This is a hearty vegan dish that is easy to make for lunches or dinners.

this recipe

My favorite easy meal to make these days is something I call Beans and Greens. I cook up a can of white beans with some greens like spinach or kale. The resulting dish is fiber-rich and delicious.

But what really makes this dish shine? The combination of spices. They are so tasty, you'll forget you're eating something vegan. And when you top the smoky beans with roasted tomatoes and fresh basil, it's bright, flavorful, and even more delicious.

I love eating these beans and greens on their own or with some delicious crusty bread. I've been loving sourdough around here recently!

What type of white beans to use:

Short answer - any of them! There are a lot of kinds of white beans. Cannellini, Navy, Great Northern, Baby Lima, etc. They have slight differences, but any of them will work well in this recipe.

This recipe uses canned beans, but if you're cooking from scratch, just make sure your beans are cooked through before starting the recipe.

Why rinse canned beans:

The liquid in canned beans contains a lot of sodium and starch. Rinsing the beans is healthier, and allows you to create your own broth and add in your own spices and salt.

How to customize:

• Swap out the spinach in this recipe for kale.
• Instead of using smoky spices like smoked paprika, use cumin or curry powder for a different flavor.
• Crack a couple of eggs in there, shakshuka-style.
• Keep it more saucy or less! Depending on how much sauce you want in your beans, you can cook out more of the broth or keep it in. (And you can always add a splash more broth if needed).

How to store (and eat) leftovers:

Leftovers of the white beans and tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 2-3 days. To reheat, you can add a little more broth and simmer until hot in a skillet.

You can also add your leftovers to a skillet and crack a couple of eggs into the middle and let fry until the whites are set, flipping if desired.

How to make:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Take your cherry or grape tomatoes and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Place on a baking sheet and place in the oven once preheated. Alternately, you could make these air fryer roasted tomatoes instead.

Next, chop up your spinach as much as you want. You could always add it in whole, but I like to chop it a bit before adding.

Next drain and rinse your beans. Add to a medium skillet with your stock and spices.

Stir to combine.

Simmer away until it starts to thicken, then add your spinach and cook for a couple of more minutes, until spinach is wilted and combined.

Remove your tomatoes from the oven. They should look roasted to perfection.

Plate your white beans and top with the roasted tomatoes and some fresh basil. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top if desired.