Are you looking for a new weeknight dinner that is unbelievably fast, incredibly easy, super healthy, and absolutely bursting with bright, fresh, and savory flavor? This amazing, one-pan Tomato & Garlic Butter Bean Skillet is that perfect meal. It’s a vibrant, satisfying, and completely vegan dish that comes together in about 15 minutes using just a handful of simple and budget-friendly pantry staples.
This isn’t just another bean recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite “pantry power” meal. We’ll show you how to transform a few humble cans into a sophisticated, rustic, and deeply satisfying stew-like dish that tastes like it came from a Mediterranean café. Served on its own, with pasta, or with a slice of crusty bread, this is a wholesome, one-bowl wonder that is perfect for a quick and delicious dinner.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate 15-Minute Pantry Dinner
What makes these Tomato Garlic Butter Beans so spectacularly delicious is their incredible simplicity and their vibrant, fresh-tasting flavor. This hearty, stew-like dish is a true celebration of pantry heroes. The star of the show is the butter bean, a large, incredibly creamy, and satisfying legume. The sauce is a simple but flavorful combination of sautéed fresh garlic, canned petite diced tomatoes, and a classic Italian seasoning blend. A generous amount of fresh baby spinach is wilted in at the very end, adding a beautiful pop of color and a ton of healthy nutrients. It’s a foolproof, crowd-pleasing, one-pan meal that is as nourishing as it is delicious.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 15 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Vibrant Dish
This recipe uses a handful of simple, high-impact pantry staples to create its signature fresh and savory flavor.
- The Beans (The Creamy Stars!):
- Canned Butter Beans: This is the key to a hearty, satisfying, and incredibly easy meal. Butter beans, also known as large lima beans, are prized for their large size and their wonderfully creamy, “buttery” texture and rich, nutty flavor. They are a fantastic source of plant-based protein and fiber.
- The Simple Tomato & Garlic Sauce:
- Petite Diced Tomatoes: Using canned, petite diced tomatoes is a fantastic shortcut that creates a wonderful texture and a fresh, rustic sauce base in seconds. Using the undrained tomatoes is key, as the juices from the can form the primary liquid for our sauce.
- Fresh Garlic: It is absolutely essential to use freshly minced garlic for the best, most aromatic and pungent flavor. Because it’s a star ingredient, its fresh flavor really shines.
- The Greens: A generous amount of pre-washed fresh baby spinach is the perfect, easy addition. It requires no chopping and wilts down in the hot skillet in just a minute, adding a beautiful color and a wealth of nutrients to the finished dish.
Step-by-Step to the Best Butter Beans
This delicious, one-pan meal is incredibly simple and fast to prepare.
Step 1: Build the Flavor Base
In a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is tender and very fragrant. This will happen very quickly, in just about 30 to 45 seconds.
Pro Tip: Be careful not to let your garlic burn! Burnt garlic can make the entire dish taste bitter.
Step 2: Simmer the Skillet Dinner
Step 1: Add the 2 cans of undrained petite diced tomatoes, the 1 can of rinsed and drained butter beans, the 6 cups of fresh baby spinach, the 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and the 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to the skillet.
Step 2: Cook the mixture, stirring it occasionally, until the spinach has completely wilted and all the ingredients are heated through.
Step 3: Serve and Enjoy!
Serve the warm Tomato & Garlic Butter Bean mixture immediately. If you desire, it is absolutely fantastic when served with some hot, cooked pasta and a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
The Best Easy Tomato Garlic Butter Beans (15-Minute Meal!)
An extremely quick, one-pan vegetarian meal, this Tomato & Garlic Butter Bean Dinner is perfect for a busy weeknight. The dish is made by briefly sautéing minced garlic in olive oil, then adding canned diced tomatoes, rinsed butter beans, and fresh baby spinach to the skillet. The mixture is seasoned with Italian seasoning and pepper and cooked just until the spinach is wilted. It can be served on its own or over hot pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) no-salt-added petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (16 ounces) butter beans, rinsed and drained
- 6 cups fresh baby spinach (about 6 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Optional: Hot cooked pasta and grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 30-45 seconds until tender and fragrant.
- Add the undrained diced tomatoes, the rinsed and drained butter beans, the fresh baby spinach, the Italian seasoning, and the pepper to the skillet.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach has wilted and the mixture is heated through.
- Serve as is, or, if desired, serve with hot cooked pasta and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- This is a true one-pan meal that comes together in about 15 minutes, making it ideal for a very quick dinner.
- The recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free (when served without pasta and cheese).
- The fresh spinach is added at the very end and wilts quickly from the heat of the other ingredients, preserving its texture and nutrients.
How to Serve Your Lemony Chickpeas
This hearty stew is a perfect, all-in-one meal, but it’s also incredibly versatile and can be served in a variety of delicious ways!
- With a Hearty Grain: Serve it over a bed of fluffy quinoa, brown rice, couscous, or farro.
- With Crusty Bread: A side of warm, crusty bread or a soft pita is a must-have for dipping into the delicious, savory sauce.
- As a “Beans on Toast”: For a fantastic and easy lunch, you can spoon the hot mixture over a thick slice of toasted, rustic bread.
- With a Creamy Topping: A large dollop of cool plain Greek yogurt or a spoonful of basil pesto are fantastic, creamy additions.
- With a Salty Sprinkle: A generous sprinkle of salty, crumbled feta cheese is a classic and delicious Mediterranean pairing.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the ultimate meal-prep recipe for a week of delicious and healthy lunches or dinners.
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare the entire skillet meal a day or two in advance and store it in the refrigerator. The flavors will actually be even better on the second day!
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: This stew freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: You can reheat the skillet mixture gently in a saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Add a Savory Protein: For a hearty, non-vegetarian version, you can brown about 1/2 pound of sliced, pre-cooked Italian sausage or some crispy, crumbled pancetta along with the garlic. You could also stir in some shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Add a Splash of Wine & Lemon: For a more sophisticated flavor, you can deglaze the pan with a splash of dry white wine after you have cooked the garlic. A final squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the very end will also brighten up all the flavors beautifully.
- Use a Different Bean or Green: If you don’t have butter beans, this recipe is also absolutely fantastic with an equal amount of your favorite white bean, like cannellini beans or Great Northern beans, or even with chickpeas. If you don’t have spinach, you could easily substitute it with about 2 to 3 cups of chopped, hearty kale, but be sure to add it to the skillet along with the tomatoes to give it enough time to become tender.
Enjoy The Ultimate Healthy Pantry Meal!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, simple ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. These Tomato & Garlic Butter Beans are a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch meal to be both incredibly fast and incredibly delicious. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new family favorite for busy weeknights.
We hope you enjoy every last, vibrant, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, easy, and healthy meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the difference between butter beans and lima beans?
There is no difference! Butter beans are simply the common name, particularly in the American South and in the UK, for a mature lima bean. They are prized for their large size and their wonderfully starchy and “buttery” texture when cooked.
Q2: Can I make this dish ahead of time for meal prep?
Yes, this is an absolutely perfect meal-prep recipe! You can prepare the entire skillet meal and portion it into individual, airtight containers for a week of delicious and healthy lunches. It reheats beautifully.
Q3: Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
You can, but you will likely need to add a bit more liquid to create a sauce. If you are using fresh tomatoes, you will need about 3 cups of finely chopped fresh tomatoes (like Roma or plum tomatoes). You may also want to add about 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to the skillet along with the fresh tomatoes to create a bit more of a saucy consistency.
Q4: Can I freeze this butter bean stew?
Yes, this is a fantastic freezer meal! Let the finished stew cool completely. You can freeze it in freezer-safe containers or resealable bags for up to 3 months. To reheat, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then warm it gently on the stovetop.
Q5: Can I use dry beans instead of canned?
You can, but you will need to plan ahead. You will need to soak about 1 cup of dry lima beans overnight. Drain them and then add them to the pot along with the tomatoes and the broth. You will need to increase the simmering time significantly (to about 1 to 1 1/2 hours) to ensure that the dry beans are completely tender.