I’ve got a Cannellini Beans recipe that’s the best, hands down! Creamy, buttery beans with fresh herbs, garlic, parmesan, cherry tomatoes, and a generous drizzle of EVOO – it’s just perfect.
It can be your favorite new meatless main dish, or you can serve it as a side. Plus, it’s super quick to make. I whip it up in no time!
Give your favorite white beans a big time upgrade. I think you’re going to come back to this one again and again…
Beans and legumes are among the healthiest, and most budget friendly of ingredients. And they can go with such a variety of flavors.
Be it Indian Dal, Greek Fasolada Soup, or our favorite Puerto Rican Habichuelas Guisadas, there’s always a new way to cook with them.
This time, I went with a Mediterranean kind of theme, and the results were a total hit!
Ingredients Needed
- Cannellini beans – I use canned, but will include instructions for dried as well.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Plenty.
- Garlic – Also plenty.
- Cherry tomatoes – Halved.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly shredded.
- Fresh herbs – Oregano, thyme and parsley.
- Salt & pepper
Cannellini Beans Recipe
First, I heat up some olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the garlic until it smells amazing.
Then, I add in the beans, tomatoes, herbs, salt, and pepper, and let them cook for around 15 minutes.
After that, I stir in some parmesan cheese for that extra creaminess. To finish it off, I sprinkle on more parsley and drizzle some more olive oil before serving it up hot.
How to Prepare Dried Cannellini Beans
When I’m using dried beans, I always soak them first. I add about 1.5 cups of dried beans to a large pot and cover them with at least 2 inches of cold water. Then, I let them soak for at least 8 hours.
Once they’re done soaking, I drain them and refill the pot with fresh water. I make sure to salt generously. Then, I bring the water to a boil and reduce it to a simmer. I let the beans cook for about 2 hours, or until they’re nice and soft to my liking.
Serving Suggestions
I love these cannellini beans as a meatless main course along with rice, pasta or our No Knead Bread.
If you wish to serve them as a side, here are some main dishes that pair well:
- Skillet Pork Chops
- Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
- Greek Chicken Souvlaki
- Caprese Stuffed Portobellos
- Mediterranean Zucchini Boats
- Pesto Bruschetta Chicken
Make this easy and amazingly tasty cannellini beans recipe. You’ll be so glad you did. This is definitely one of those dishes that belong in your regular rotation.
Cannellini Beans, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great bean recipes!
Spanish Clams with Beans
Cuban Black Beans
Ribollita Soup
Navy Beans with Ham
Peruvian Beans
Gigantes Plaki
The BEST Cannellini Beans Recipe
My Cannellini Beans recipe is the best ever! Generously seasoned with garlic, herbs and olive oil, they're a great meatless dinner or side dish.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 2 19oz cans cannellini beans
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until it becomes fragrant.
- Add beans, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes.
- Stir in parmesan cheese. Garnish with more parsley, and drizzle some extra olive oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Leftovers and Storing: These cannellini beans make great leftovers. Refrigerate them in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat on stovetop, or in the microwave, with a splash of additional water. They also freeze great in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge the day before eating them.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 273Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 7mgSodium 323mgCarbohydrates 21gFiber 5gSugar 2gProtein 11g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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Will can Tomatoes work? I don’t care for tomato skins so use canned in my other recipes. thank you.
Hi Joli. Sure, you can used canned. I would recommend using whole canned tomatoes and breaking them up a bit with a spoon. You don’t want the beans to become too tomatoey, so only use about half of a 15oz can.
Am I supposed to drain the beans, or is the liquid from the can part of what makes up the soup? Thanks for your help!
~A newbie
Hi Laura. We do not drain the beans in this recipe. Take note though that it’s not really a soup, but more saucy. Think of it as something you would eat over rice or pasta, or with a side of crusty bread. Let me know how you like it!
Wonderful recipe, thank you!