Marry Me Beans
The meatless take on viral Marry Me Chicken: creamy white beans in a sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce, finished with spinach and a whisper of chili. Mashing a quarter of the beans thickens the sauce naturally, no flour needed, and the whole skillet comes together in 25 minutes — hearty enough to stand alone or spoon over bread, rice, or pasta.
Ingredients
- 800 gcannellini beans
- 80 gsun-dried tomatoes
- 50 gparmesan
- 200 mlheavy cream
- 4 pcsgarlic
- 1 pcsonion
- 200 mlvegetable stock
- 100 gbaby spinach
- 2 gred pepper flakes
- 3 gItalian herbs
- 15 mlolive oil
- 1 gblack pepper
Method
- Warm the olive oil (use some of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar for extra flavour) in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and Italian herbs. Cook for a minute until fragrant — the garlic and dried herbs need a moment in the oil to bloom.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and scrape up anything stuck to the pan. Add the drained cannellini beans and simmer gently for 5 minutes so they absorb the flavour.
- Lightly mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pan. This thickens the sauce into something creamy and cohesive without any flour.
- Stir in the heavy cream and the grated parmesan, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce is silky and lightly thickened. Keep the heat gentle so the cream doesn't split.
- Fold in the baby spinach and cook just until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with black pepper and taste — the parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes bring a lot of salt, so add more only if needed.
- Serve hot, with crusty bread to mop up the sauce or over rice, pasta, or polenta. A final grating of parmesan and a drizzle of the sun-dried tomato oil finish it.
FAQ
Cannellini are classic — big, creamy, and mild. Butter beans (large lima beans) are even more luxurious, and other white beans like great northern work well too. Chickpeas hold up but stay firmer and change the character a little.
Yes, with two swaps: use a plant cream (oat or cashew) in place of the heavy cream, and a vegan parmesan or a spoonful of nutritional yeast for the savoury, cheesy note. The beans and sun-dried tomatoes carry the dish either way.
It thickens the sauce naturally. The starch released from the mashed beans gives that creamy, clingy texture without adding flour or extra cream. A quarter of the beans is enough — mash more if you want it thicker.
It's flexible: crusty bread for dipping, or spooned over rice, pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes. It also works as a hearty side to roast chicken or fish, or as a main with a green salad.
Yes, and it reheats well — the flavour deepens overnight. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of stock or water, since the sauce thickens as it sits. Add the spinach fresh when reheating if you want it bright green.
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