Creamy sun-dried tomato beans

Creamy sun-dried tomato beans
Prepare
less than 30 mins
Cook
10 to 30 mins
Serve
Serves 2–3

These easy creamy beans are made with just 6 ingredients that are all easy to find, even in small supermarkets. It's the sort of dinner you keep coming back to because it's so easy and convenient to cook and tastes great.

Each serving provides 491 kcal, 19.7g protein, 37.6g carbohydrate (of which 8.9g sugars), 24.5g fat (of which 3.7g saturates), 20.9g fibre and 2.1g salt.

By Madeleine Dampier

Shopping list

Ingredients

  • 1–2 tbsp olive oil (or oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes), plus extra to garnish
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes, or to taste, plus extra to garnish
  • 120–140g/4¼–5oz (drained weight) sun-dried tomatoes, blended or very finely chopped
  • 2 x 400g tins white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 tbsp light cream cheese
  • 1–2 large handfuls spinach, chopped
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • finely grated cheese, to serve (optional)
Recipe tips

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic and chilli flakes for 1–2 minutes, or until fragrant.

  2. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.

  3. Add the beans and cream cheese and stir well to combine. Add a splash of water if needed to loosen the sauce. Stir regularly.

  4. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Continue to add a little water if needed – it should be a creamy but saucy consistency.

  5. Season generously with salt and pepper.

  6. Serve in bowls and garnish each bowl with black pepper, a pinch of chilli flakes and a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle over the cheese, if using.

Recipe tips

Feel free to swap the beans with whatever is in the cupboard, such as butter beans or chickpeas.

Serve with a side of crusty bread or bulk it up further with some plant-based chicken and a side of vegetables.

This can be kept in the fridge for 3–4 days in an airtight container. When reheating, add an extra splash of water to help loosen.

Seasoning the dish with salt and pepper right at the end makes sure the flavours become elevated and are not diluted by the splashes of water that are added earlier.