Description
A creamy, flavorful dish featuring sun dried tomato cashew sauce blended with butter beans and fresh spinach, perfect for a quick vegetarian meal served with crusty bread or grains.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes plus more if desired
- 7-8 fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups water plus more as needed
Main Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups baby spinach, sliced
- Crusty bread for serving, optional
Instructions
- Soak the cashews: Bring 2-3 cups of water to a boil using a kettle. Pour the hot water over the cashews and let them soak for 5 minutes up to 1 hour to soften.
- Blend the sauce: Drain the cashews and add them to a high-powered blender along with garlic, sun dried tomatoes, basil leaves, lemon juice, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and 1 1/2 cups water. Blend until creamy and smooth.
- Cook sauce and beans: Pour the blended creamy sauce into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the drained and rinsed butter beans. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently to combine and warm through. Add more water if the sauce needs thinning.
- Stir in spinach and finish: Add the sliced spinach and additional sun dried tomatoes if desired. Cook until the spinach wilts and turns bright green. Remove from heat, taste, and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm with crusty bread or over grains.
Notes
- You can substitute sunflower seeds or raw slivered almonds for the cashews if needed, or use full-fat coconut milk instead of water for a richer sauce.
- If butter beans are unavailable, use any white beans such as great northern, navy beans, or chickpeas.
- This dish pairs well with crusty bread for dipping or served over rice, quinoa, or other grains.
- This recipe is excellent for meal prep; store leftovers in covered containers for up to 4 days and reheat before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
