This 10-Minute Meal Warms Me up on Cold Nights

Name: This 10-Minute Meal Warms Me up on Cold Nights
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or pressed through a garlic press; 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, optional; 2 (14-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed, liquid reserved; 4 packed cups baby spinach (about 3.5 ounces); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; Grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional

This dish takes just 10 minutes and five ingredients to make from pantry staples.
Mashing some of the beans creates a thicker, more satisfying texture in each bite.
Using bean liquid (aquafaba) in the sauce gives the dish a velvety, creamy finish.

My go-to list of quick weeknight and workday lunch recipes is relatively short, focused on pantry ingredients, and a total lifesaver. I can whip up this handful of reliable dishes when I need to feed myself and time is of the essence.

However, when these situations come up too often in close succession (as they tend to do), I get bored, lose my appetite, or turn to something completely unsatisfying—like shoving handfuls of potato chips into my mouth or “eating” a smoothie for lunch.

So if you’re anything like me, and this week the go-to quesadilla, wonton soup, grated egg toast, stir-fried noodles, or back pocket pasta on your “need food fast” list just won’t cut it, let me introduce you to my latest obsession: 10-minute, five-ingredient creamy white beans and greens.

My Secret Ingredient

Two things set this recipe apart from the other beans and greens out there. First, some beans are mashed before they’re added, and second, I make use of an oft-discarded ingredient: the bean liquid, aka "aquafaba." Both lend a velvety body to the dish and give it a rich, creamy texture.

You can use any canned white bean for this dish, but I prefer cannellini or butter beans as they have a softer texture that works really well here. Make sure to drain the beans in a strainer set over a bowl as you’ll need the aquafaba.

Overhead view of a bowl of beans and greens with a chunk of bread all next to a spoon and resting on a blue cloth napkin — Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

Creamy White Beans and Greens

Prep Time 3 mins

Cook Time 7 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Servings 2 to 3 servings

Keep Screen Awake

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
2 (14-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed, liquid reserved
4 packed cups baby spinach (about 3.5 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Grated parmesan cheese for serving, optional

Cook the garlic and mash some of the beans:

Add the olive oil, garlic, and chili flakes (if using) to a large skillet over medium-low heat.

While that’s heating up, transfer about half of one of the cans of beans to a bowl (no need to be precise) and use a fork to roughly mash; this will help give the finished dish a creamier consistency.
Add the beans and continue cooking:

Once the garlic barely starts to turn golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes, add the beans (whole and mashed), spinach, salt, and pepper to the pan and turn the heat up to medium, stirring well to combine. After about 3 minutes, the spinach should be relatively wilted and any water it released should have already reduced out.
Add the aquafaba:

Stir well, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved bean liquid (aka aquafaba) and lemon juice. You can add as much aquafaba as you desire to make the dish lean more soup/stew; I use about 1/4 cup for this amount of beans and spinach.
Add parmesan and serve:

Taste and season as desired before serving with freshly grated p armesan cheese.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
370	Calories
14g	Fat
46g	Carbs
18g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories	370
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g	19%
Saturated Fat 2g	11%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 963mg	42%
Total Carbohydrate 46g	17%
Dietary Fiber 12g	43%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 14mg	68%
Calcium 198mg	15%
Iron 7mg	41%
Potassium 1165mg	25%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.