June 23, 2026
Creamy Pea Pesto White Beans (Vegan)
This vegan Creamy Pea Pesto White Bean Skillet is ready in just 25 minutes! It combines bright spring peas, fresh herbs, and protein-packed navy beans in a bright and zesty one-pan meal. Perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep, and tastes even better as leftovers!
Table of Contents
why you’ll love this recipe jump to recipe video step-by-step instructions tips and faqs more bean recipesCreamy Pea Pesto White Bean Skillet
I try to eat a cup of beans every day, so to make that goal manageable, I like to prep a big batch at the beginning of the week to eat throughout the days. To avoid what I call “bean burnout”, I typically switch up the recipes every week, and last week, I made a batch of my pea pesto bruschetta and thought the pea pesto would be perfect with white beans! The rest is history! This Creamy Pea Pesto White Bean Skillet is as nourishing as it is delicious. the best part is everything is made in one pan and takes less than 30 minutes to put together! These beans are perfect for a light lunch or easy summer dinner! Don’t forget your favorite crusty bread! I like to serve it with crusty bread, but you can even serve it over pasta for an even heartier meal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
✓ Pantry-Friendly Ingredients: Canned beans and frozen peas make this accessible and affordable!
✓ High-Protein Plant Meal: One serving delivers nearly 20g of plant-based protein
✓ Meal Prep Powerhouse: Tastes even better as leftovers; stores well for up to 4 days
✓ Freezer-Friendly Pesto: You can make the pesto ahead and freeze it in ice cube trays for months, turning this into a 10-minute throw-together meal anytime.
✓ Budget-Conscious: Uses affordable canned beans and seasonal produce
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prepare the Pesto:
In a food processor bowl, combine the peas, basil, mint, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice, salt, and red chili flakes. Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped but not pureed. With the food processor running on low, slowly drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil through the feed tube. Once all the oil is incorporated, taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Set aside.
2. Sauté the Aromatics:
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
3. Simmer:
Next, add the reserved pesto and non-dairy milk, stirring to combine. Let this mixture bubble gently for 1 minute to meld flavors. Pour in the beans and toss to coat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly and beans to warm through.
4. Finish with Parmesan:
Sprinkle in the parmesan and stir until fully incorporated and melted throughout. The sauce should look glossy and creamy.
5. Serve and Enjoy!
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of parmesan, fresh basil, and extra lemon zest. Enjoy hot!
Tips and FAQs
- Frozen Peas Work Great: I like to quickly run them under lukewarm water to slightly thaw before adding the food processor.
- Toast Pine Nuts: While it’s definitely not a requirement, I recommend lightly toasting before blending. It adds a deeper, nutty flavor.
- Fresh Lemon Juice. Bottled lemon juice will work, but I highly recommend fresh for this recipe!
- Don’t Overcook: Since we’re using canned beans, they’re already fully cooked, so make sure to watch closely after 5 minutes. They can become mushy if simmered for too long.
- Batch the Pesto: Double the recipe and freeze pesto separately for future meals!
Can I use dried beans instead of canned?
Absolutely! In fact, swapping canned beans for dried ones is a fantastic way to reduce costs! To replace the two 15-ounce cans called for in this recipe, use about 1½ cups of dried navy, cannellini, or Great Northern beans. While the skillet assembly time stays exactly the same, you’ll need to account for the cooking time required to soften and cook the dried legumes. You can soak them overnight for the traditional approach, use the “quick soak” method (boiling for 2 minutes then letting sit for an hour), or pop them into an Instant Pot for a faster result. Since your dried beans will simmer in the pesto mixture for the final 5–10 minutes, be sure to cook them just until they are tender but still slightly firm; this ensures they hold their shape while absorbing all those vibrant flavors without turning to mush!
What can I substitute for pine nuts in the pesto?
Walnuts, almonds, cashews, or hemp seeds work beautifully and are budget-friendly alternatives!
Is this freezer-friendly?
Yes! Store cooled skillet portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
If You Loved This Bean Recipe, Try These Next!
Make This Your Weeknight Go-To!
I hope you love this Creamy Pea Pesto White Bean Skillet as much as I do! If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to see! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or Facebook, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes! xx!
Creamy Pea Pesto White Bean Skillet (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup peas
- ½ cup fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup fresh mint
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 4 cloves garlic
- Zest of 1 large lemon, plus its juice (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 4 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 2 (15-ounce) cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup extra creamy non-dairy milk
- ½ cup vegan parmesan, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- First, make the pesto. In a food processor bowl, combine the peas, basil, mint, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice, salt, and red chili flakes. Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped but not pureed.
- With the food processor running on low, slowly drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil through the feed tube. Once all the oil is incorporated, taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Next, add the reserved pesto and non-dairy milk, stirring to combine.
- Pour in the beans and toss to coat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the parmesan and stir until fully incorporated and melted throughout.
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of parmesan and enjoy!
