Creamy Braised White Beans with Garlic and Kale

Name: Creamy Braised White Beans with Garlic and Kale
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 3-4 cloves of garlic (crushed); 2 tsp dried thyme; 3 tbsp flour (all-purpose or whole wheat); 2 cups plant-based milk (plain and unsweetened); 2 tbsp nutritional yeast; 15 oz canned white beans (I used great northern white beans) (rinsed and drained); large handful of kale (chopped); salt

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These creamy braised white beans are so simple and great served as a side dish, but also satisfying and filling enough to make it for a full meal. It is ultra creamy with rich garlicky flavors and it comes together in under 20 minutes. Amazing with crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce. Dairy-free and packed with fiber and protein too.

Close up on a large spoon that's serving some creamy braised white beans over 2 pieces of bread on a plate.

This simple recipe is pure comfort food. Ultra rich and creamy, even if made without any cream, and features strong garlic aromas and backgrounds of cheesy flavor. Also super easy to make and quicker than its name wants you to believe.

Because "braising" usually means cooking for a while and typically implicates a piece of meat that's first seared at high temperature and then slow cooked in a broth-y mixture. This creates an harmonious saucy concoction that tenderizes the tougher part of the meat, but also takes a little time to prepare.

When no meat is implicated, then braising beans usually means to slow cook dried beans also for a while until they become tender and lose their shape. This thickens the stew and makes it super rich and creamy.

But the thing is that on most nights, I just don't feel like or have enough time to be braising anything. SO, I might have modified the braising technique slightly. I grabbed a can of already cooked beans and then made a super easy bechamel packed with flavorful ingredients. Everything done, combined, warm and cozy in under 20 minutes.

Some might say this is not exactly braising, but boy oh boy, the result is delish.

Overhead view on 2 small pieces of bread topped with creamy braised white beans and sprinkled with red pepper flakes and black pepper.

Why you will love this recipe

Perfect recipe for busy weeknight dinners.
Tasty plant-based comfort food.
Can be made ahead and makes for amazing leftovers.
Fiber-rich, high-in-protein and loaded with antioxidant rich kale.
Quick one-pot recipe that's very easy to prepare.
Dairy-free and uses canned beans.

Ingredients you'll need

Olive oil: I try to limit using oil when cooking and I know many of you are oil-free and on a whole food plant based diet... but oil is hard to avoid when making a bechamel.
Flour: either all-purpose or whole wheat will work.
Garlic: this is a garlicky sauce, so you will need 3-4 cloves of garlic to make it. If you are not a fan of garlic, then cut it down to 1 clove.
Dried thyme: It adds so much flavor to the sauce and pairs well with the white beans.
Plant-based milk: I used soy milk, but any kind will work well. Make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored.
Nutritional yeast: it is what brings the cheesy flavors to the creamy sauce.
Canned white beans: quicker than dried beans and they are much more convenient too. I used great northern white beans.
Kale: I used purple curly kale, but any kind of kale will work.

Showing are the ingredients needed to make this recipe.

How to make it

Cook the aromatics

Warm up the oil in a large pan and then add the garlic and dried thyme. Cook on medium heat for 60-90 seconds while stirring constantly. You want to cook the garlic while making sure it does not burn (the garlic can turn bitter if it turns brownish).

Make the bechamel

Once the garlic is cooked, add the flour and whisk the mixture. Cook for another 1-2 minutes on medium heat while stirring/whisking constantly.

Then, add some of the milk (about ⅓ of the total volume) and whisk vigorously. You want to break up the clumps as much as you can. Then, add some more milk, whisk again, and add the rest of the milk. Whisk to combine and make sure you cannot see any clumps of flour anymore. The mixture should thicken pretty quickly within about 3 minutes or so.

Then, add a good pinch of salt with the nutritional yeast and stir to combine. You can taste and adjust flavors at this point.

Warm up with beans & kale

Once the bechamel is done, add the drained beans and kale and stir to combine. The mixture might appear too thick at first, but it will loosen up as the kale leaves soften. You can always add a little more milk if it is too thick to your taste.

Serve right away with a side of bread.

In process picture: Overhead view on a small whisk stirring in a large pan with garlic.

In process picture: overhead view on a large pan that's cooking garlic and flour.

Watch how to make it

Cooking tips

I like to add the milk small amounts at the time. This allow me to work on the clumps of flour/garlic and break them easier that way.
There is a lot of garlic in there! So you want to cook it fully in the oil first to avoid a raw garlic flavor. But also, make sure it does not burn. If it does burn, then you might have to start over. I usually cook the garlic for max 1 minute on medium heat watching carefully.
Chop the kale small, I find it easier to eat that way.
This sauce tends to firm up as it rests/cools down. Don't hesitate to add a splash of milk to loosen up the sauce just before serving.

Close up on a bowl filled with creamy braised white beans while there is a large spoon taking some of it to show the texture.

Serving suggestion

These creamy braised white beans are amazing served with a side of bread. Whole wheat dinner rolls, crusty bread like baguette or even garlic bread would all work well. Its saucy consistency would also make it a great pasta topping.

When serving, you can dust with a vegan parmesan cheese and lots of ground black pepper. It also pairs very well with red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.

What kind of white beans to use

I prefer using canned beans as it is quicker, does not require soaking or prep ahead and I simply always have canned white beans ready to go in the pantry.

I used great northern white beans for this recipe. I love their medium size shape and their mild nutty flavor. They mostly retain their shape, although don't feel firm either.

You can also use cannelini beans. They are larger, more firm and will hold up on their shape more while cooking. The smaller navy beans would work too and might create a more creamy texture to the sauce (they are more tender and break easier). Even chickpeas would work!

Front angle view on a plate that has 2 small pieces of bread topped with a creamy braised white bean recipe packed with kale.

Substitutions

You can play around with the recipe as long as you keep the ratio oil/flour/milk about the same.

Make it Italian style with olives, basil, and oregano. Try cooking a finely diced yellow onion or leeks in the oil if you love that flavor and use fresh herbs if you have them. Feel free to add some roasted mushrooms, zucchini or even add some white wine for deeper flavor.

You can also use different kinds of leafy greens such as spinach, collard green, arugula, etc.

FAQ's

Can I use dried beans instead?

Yes and no. You cannot simply substitute the canned beans for dried beans in this recipe as you would have to change up the volume of liquid quite a bit and the milk would curdle from cooking for too long. But, you can cook dried beans ahead and use the cooked beans to make this recipe. Love and Lemons have a nice guide on how to cook dried beans from scratch.

Can I make it gluten-free?

Yes. Use a gluten-free flour to make the creamy sauce. If you want to avoid using flour, then there are ways you could thicken the sauce using cornstarch. Check out my vegan bechamel post to learn how to do thicken your sauce using cornstarch.

Close up on a plate holding 2 pieces of bread garnished with a creamy white braised recipe filled with kale.

More recipes using white beans

I hope you like these creamy braised white beans as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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