Tuscan White Bean & Rice Skillet

Tuscan white bean skillet is an easy meatless dinner that’s packed with flavor and ready in under 15 minutes. Made with white beans, rice, kale, and sun-dried tomatoes, this one-pan meal is hearty, satisfying, and perfect for busy weeknights. If you’re looking for an easy vegetarian dinner that uses simple pantry ingredients but still tastes like you spent much longer making it, this recipe is for you.

This recipe is built around some of my favorite ingredients. I almost always have sun-dried tomatoes in the pantry and cooked rice in the freezer, so this has become one of my go-to meals when I need dinner fast. I’ve made this recipe countless times over the years, sometimes swapping in chickpeas or quinoa depending on what I have on hand, but I always come back to this version because it’s simple, incredibly flavorful, and satisfying enough that I never miss the meat.

Looking for more easy meatless dinners? Try my Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta, Lentil Shawarma, Instant Pot Mexican Rice and Beans, and Dairy Free Broccoli Rice Casserole. They’re all hearty, flavor-packed meals that come together with simple ingredients and are perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredient spotlight

• Kale – I like Tuscan (lacinato) kale because it stays tender while adding great texture to the skillet. Baby spinach also works if you prefer a milder green.
• Sun Dried Tomatoes – Use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil for the best flavor. The tomatoes and a little of the oil they’re packed in are what give this skillet its rich, savory Tuscan flavor. If you don’t love sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers are a great substitute.
• White Beans – Cannellini beans are the traditional choice, but Great Northern, navy beans, butter beans, or lima beans all work well.
• Cooked Rice – This recipe is designed to use leftover cooked rice, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Jasmine or basmati rice reheats especially well, but frozen cooked rice or microwave-ready rice are great shortcuts too.

Step by step

Top tips

• Turn it into soup. Add 3 to 4 cups of vegetable broth along with the rice and beans, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes for an easy Tuscan white bean soup.
• Meal prep shortcut. I like to cook a big batch of jasmine or basmati rice ahead of time and freeze it in portions. That way I always have cooked rice ready for quick dinners like this.

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15 Minute Tuscan White Bean Skillet

This Tuscan white bean skillet is an easy one-pan meatless dinner made with white beans, rice, kale, and sun-dried tomatoes. Ready in just 15 minutes, it's hearty, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 9 minutes mins

Total Time: 14 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 head tuscan kale, chopped (lacinato or dinosaur kale)
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil
• 2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz. cans)
• 2.5 cups cooked jasmine rice

Instructions

• Start by prepping all the ingredients. Chop the onions and garlic. Destem and chop the kale, rinse and drain the white beans.
  1 medium onion, chopped, 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped, 1 head tuscan kale, chopped (lacinato or dinosaur kale), 2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz. cans)
• While chopping the veggies, preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
• When the skillet is hot, spray with extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil spray. Add onions and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  1 medium onion, chopped
• When onions are starting to become translucent, add the garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes. Stir regularly so the garlic doesn't burn.
  2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
• When the onions are starting to brown and garlic is cooked, add the kale, vegetable broth, salt, italian seasoning and garlic powder. Stir well and cook 1-3 minutes to start to wilt the kale.
  1 head tuscan kale, chopped (lacinato or dinosaur kale), ½ cup vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Once kale is wilted (liquid doesn't have to be gone from the pan), add the sundried tomatoes, white beans and cooked rice. Stir well and cook 2-4 minutes until beans and rice are hot. Serve immediately.
  ¼ cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil, 2.5 cups cooked jasmine rice, 2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz. cans)

Recipe Notes

Top tips

• Prep everything before you start. This recipe comes together quickly, so chop the onion, garlic, and kale and drain the beans before turning on the stove.
• Remove the kale stems. Thick kale stems stay tough after cooking. Remove them before chopping, even if you’re using bagged chopped kale.
• Don’t rush the onions and garlic. Cooking them for a few minutes before adding the remaining ingredients creates the flavorful base for the entire skillet.
• Use cooked rice. Leftover rice, frozen cooked rice, or microwave-ready rice all work well and keep this a true 15 minute meal.

Storing leftovers

• Fridge: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
• Reheating leftovers: Reheat in a skillet over medium low heat (add 2-3 tablespoons of water to ensure it doesn’t stick and can steam while cooking) or microwave 1-2 minutes.
• Freezer: Freeze in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. I like to freeze leftovers in individual 1 or 2 cup portions using Soupercubes. Once frozen, you pop them from the silicone mold and transfer them to a freezer safe bag. Be sure to label the container with the name, date and use by date.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Amount per Serving

Calories

414

Fat

 

2

g

Carbohydrates

 

80

g

Fiber

 

12

g

Sugar

 

2

g

Protein

 

20

g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.

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• 2223

Author: Samantha Rowland

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword: italian white bean skillet, sundried tomato rice and beans, tuscan white bean skillet, tuscan white beans and rice

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Other additions

• More vegetables: Add artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, chopped tomatoes (or drained diced tomatoes), olives, or fresh spinach. You can also sauté mushrooms, zucchini, or asparagus with the onions and garlic, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the cook time.
• Cheese: Crumbled feta or freshly grated Parmesan add extra creaminess and salty flavor.
• Add some heat: Sprinkle on crushed red pepper flakes just before serving.
• More protein: To make this meal even more filling, add Italian chicken cubes, shredded chicken, shrimp, or tofu.

More recipes to try:

• Greek White Bean Salad
• Italian White Bean Salad
• White Bean Soup
• Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes
• Brussel Sprouts Casserole
• Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale