White beans and arugula with tomato

White beans and arugula with sun-dried tomatoes is the easiest, fastest recipe you’ll ever make. Using canned beans is a time-saving shortcut. This tasty side dish is ready in five minutes, making it perfect for weeknight cooking.

This simple white bean side dish goes with almost anything. It’s also a tasty light lunch or vegan dinner. Peppery baby arugula provides a dose of leafy greens and plenty of nutrients.

Would you rather cook your own beans? Try this recipe for white beans in the Instant Pot.

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White beans and arugula with sun-dried tomatoes

Sautéed arugula and tomatoes are the perfect complement to creamy white beans. This simple recipe is so delicious and perfect for weeknight cooking.

Cannellini beans

Some people refer to them as “white beans”. I call them by their proper name – cannellini beans. Because there can be some confusion.

Navy (pea) beans are white, so are Great Northern beans and even butter beans (baby lima beans). While they all vary slightly in size and texture, they can be used interchangeably.

That being said, I really prefer cannellini beans for this dish.

If the only white beans you have on hand are great northern or navy beans, use them. This is all about being fast and easy, and that means convenient. Not another trip to the store.

Ingredients

This quick and simple dish uses only a handful of ingredients.

• Cannellini beans – canned or dried
• Sun-dried tomatoes – use oil packed, not dry pack
• Baby arugula – peppery greens that provide some bite
• Garlic – because garlic is always a good idea
• Salt, pepper & dried thyme – beans need lots of seasoning

Procedure

This simple recipe is ready in roughly 5 minutes. First, sauté the arugula for a few minutes, just to wilt it down.

Then, add the garlic to the pot with the arugula and let it cook for about a minute before adding in the remaining ingredients.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper and dried thyme. Give it a stir and let everything heat through. Pour into a large bowl and serve.

White bean, arugula and sun dried tomato salad

This easy side dish of white beans and arugula is similar to what some call “Tuscan beans”.

I use canned beans and dried herbs for convenience, but I’ve also cooked dried beans and used fresh herbs many times. It depends on how much time you have, or what you have on hand.

The other option you have is swapping out the herbs – try using rosemary or dill. Both are delicious.

More bean recipes

Whether you prefer to use dried beans or tinned beans, here are a few recipes that you might enjoy:

• Instant Pot black bean soup
• Instant pot white beans
• Mango lime quinoa salad with black beans
• Minestrone soup with white beans

Tools and equipment

• My favorite spatula
• Dutch Oven

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Serving suggestions

• Mediterranean Baked Chicken Meatballs
• Grilled Ginger Miso Eggplant
• Melting Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs
• Spicy Sautéed Broccolini with Citrus Vinaigrette
• Curried Cauliflower with Golden Raisins

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

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Originally published 8/26/18. Most recent update 2/24/22.