Quinoa cannellini beans skillet is a quick and easy one-pot vegetarian meal with rich Italian flavors!
Today, I’m popping in with a budget-friendly, healthy, January perfect meal.
I've been making this quinoa cannellini beans skillet dinner on repeat as a meatless Monday vegetarian option.
It relies on a few pantry staples and gets the flavor kicked up with some fresh veggies and a finish of fresh herbs.
It’s a quick and easy one-pan meal that’s gluten-free and vegan (if you leave off the Parmesan cheese or substitute nutritional yeast).
It’s light but hearty with the protein from the quinoa and the creamy, richness of the cannellini beans and lots of Italian flavor throughout.
The can of diced tomatoes that cook with this add a lot of depth and richness, as does the Parmesan cheese I serve it with. And the fresh basil at the end brightens up the whole dish and gives it a shot of freshness.
Simple ingredients but big impact.
Budget friendly tips:
Quinoa: Buy your quinoa in bulk. I get mine in a big bag at Costco but you can also order it on Amazon. (This quinoa is a 2-pound bag for a good price.)
Peppers: Red and orange bell peppers can be expensive if not on sale. I try and get mine at Trader Joe’s but I also will buy the bag of small sweet peppers and use those for this recipe. It’s lots cheaper.
Spinach: I never buy actual baby spinach (again, unless I’m at Trader Joe’s). I buy a bag of regular spinach. It works just as well for everything I’ve ever substituted it for and it’s less expensive. The leaves are slightly bigger and sometimes you have to tear off a big stem, but that’s the only difference.
Basil: I like to buy the basil plants at the grocery store and keep them in a glass with some water. It lasts longer and if you’re lucky, you can get it to grow.
As for substitutions - cause you know I like to give you options! - you can substitute fresh parsley for the basil if you prefer. And you can add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to make it a bit spicy.
You could also use white Northern beans but I really prefer the creamy cannellini beans here.
And you can certainly add some rotisserie chicken if you don’t want it as a vegetarian meal. I’ve done that before when we had some on hand.
Healthy can be affordable too.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
One pot quinoa cannellini beans skillet
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium red or orange bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, regular or fire-roasted
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 3-4 cups fresh spinach or baby spinach
For serving:
- chopped fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
- Add quinoa, seasonings, tomatoes and vegetable broth and broil to a boil.
- Cover the pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until quinoa is cooked through and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
- Stir in cannellini beans and spinach until warmed through and spinach is slightly wilted, 2-3 minutes.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious
This is totally my kind of meal. Love easy one pot meals full of nutrition and flavor!
Kathryn
Yes! All about the easy - and the healthy! 😊
Jenny Dunklee
This looks so delicious! Beans, quinoa and spinach is a powerhouse 😀
Kathryn
Total powerhouse! Thanks Jenny!
Aruna N
Hi Kathryn,
I subscribe to your news letter. Under the "One pot quinoa cannellini beans skillet recipe, i finf the ingredients listed and a serving tip but no recipe! Please help.
Thanks,
Aruna
Aruna N
Typo error, sorry! I 'find'.....
Kathryn
Thank you so much for pointing that out Aruna! The instructions somehow got completely deleted. I've added them back into the recipe card so you should be able to see it now. Hope you give this a try!
Timea
Hi.
Would you pre-boil dried beans or just cook them a bit longer in the dish (after pre-soaking them for 24h)?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi! Yes, you will need to cook your dried beans before hand so that they are done and ready to use. They won't get enough cooking time in this recipe to get tender. I hope that helps!
Vonnie
Shut the door!! How can you go wrong with all these great ingredients. Quinoa, spinach and chicken is my favorite. Made it today and love, love, love it. Keep recipes like these coming. Healthy and delicious. High five!!
Kathryn
Oh yay! So happy to hear you loved this Vonnie!! Have a great week! 😊
Joanna
Wow! That's a lot of spinach! 34 cups?
Kathryn
Haha, sorry Joanna! I just switched to a new recipe plugin and that must have been messed up in the transition. It should be 3-4 or 3 to 4 cups of spinach (I just grab big handfuls), not 34 cups! I've updated the recipe card on this recipe and let the tech team know so they can make sure that doesn't get stripped out again. Thanks for letting me know!
Aron Wiseman
Hello and Thank you for your recipe! My family really enjoyed this dish. We added chopped raw organic pumpkin seeds in with the quinoa when cooking for added nutrition and texture I also added a tad more salt and water to compensate for the pepitas (pumpkin seeds). May you and your family be blessed.
Aron W.
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Aron! Love the sound of the pumpkin seeds in this too!
Kelly
Healthy and filling! Glad I live alone so I can have all the leftovers for me! I love that I had most of the ingredients already in the house so that made it really easy to make! I chose to add the basil and it gave it a great refreshing Italian flavor!
Kathryn
Yay, I'm so glad you enjoyed it - thanks for sharing! And yes, it's a great one to have for leftovers 😊
Lydia
Uh was I supposed to drain the canned tomatoes?
Kathryn
Nope, I don't drain the can of tomatoes. The liquid helps cook the quinoa. Hope that helps!
Jean
So, i didn't have any peppers or herbs, or parmesan but still thoroughly enjoyed this with celerby and courgette and dried herbs. Will try again with the correct ingredients. I completely forgot how good quinoa is! Thank you! #feelinghealthy!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Jean! And sounds yummy your way too! 😊
Sharon
Yumm could this be done in the slow cooker also thankyou
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Sharon! I haven't made this in the slow cooker, so I'm not sure what to advise on times and any needed adjustments. Would love to hear if you try it though!
Jackie
My 1 year old twin girls loved this! And one is very picky. Of course I had to adjust sodium content, but it was so flavorful it didn't need much salt.
Kathryn Doherty
Yay, I'm so happy to hear they enjoyed it Jackie! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Christina Provenzano
I look forward to making this recipe. I want to try making this in an InstaPot, should I make any suggestions to the amount of liquid? Looking forward to trying this recipe, it sounds delicious.
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Christina! I've not tried making this in the Instant Pot, so I'm not sure what adjustments might be needed. I'd love to hear if you decide to experiment!