Creamy Lemon Chickpeas & Cannellini Beans
By Crystal Baldwin
Creamy Lemon Chickpeas & Cannellini Beans
The Ultimate 20-Minute Lemony Summer Bowl
If you want a fresh, delicious, and satisfying meal packed with nutrition and healthy protein, this is the dish for you. It features a bright, lemony flavor profile that tastes exactly like summer in a bowl.
One of the best things about this recipe is how customizable it is. You can easily add many different ingredients to make it your own. For this version, incorporating local, wild greens adds a wonderful earthy note. However, you can easily swap or add spinach, kale, green beans, peas, edamame, or any other vegetable you love.
To elevate both the health benefits and the presentation, you can sneak in some functional ingredients like turmeric. A pinch of turmeric enhances the dish with a beautiful, bright yellow color while adding a subtle warmth and anti-inflammatory benefits.
The entire meal comes together in just about 20 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a meal-prepped lunch.
It is incredibly versatile, so you can serve it in many different forms, such as over a bed of quinoa, tossed with your favorite pasta, or wrapped in a warm flatbread.
How To serve It
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I love serving this dish warm with a fresh sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of my favorite olive oil on top and a slice of warm sourdough bread right out of the oven.
If the weather is too warm for a hot meal, this recipe adapts effortlessly. You can also chill it and have it as a cold, summer dish or serve it on top of salad.
When cold, the flavors meld together even further, and the olive oil creates a rich texture. It makes an incredible topper for a bed of crisp arugula or mixed greens, adding a burst of savory flavor without needing a heavy dressing.
If you are hosting a gathering or simply want a change of pace for your weekday snacks, you can change the texture entirely.
If you would like to turn it into a thicker dip, just blend up about half of it into a smooth cream base and mix it back into the pot to create a thick dip- served cold or hot.
Another favorite variation of mine is blending this with creamy risotto. It creates a truly heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth texture that is both incredibly hearty and deeply satisfying.
Blending a portion of the beans creates a luxurious, velvety consistency while leaving plenty of whole beans for texture. Pair it with pita chips, crackers, or fresh veggies, and you have a brand-new appetizer.
Make it Gluten & Dairy Free
One of the best things about cooking with beans is how naturally inclusive they are.
Beans are inherently gluten-free, making them an excellent base for anyone catering to dietary restrictions or just looking for a wholesome, allergen-friendly meal.
While they are packed with protein and fiber, you might still want that luxurious, velvety texture that usually comes from a heavy cream base.
In this recipe, I added a little heavy cream to achieve that signature rich texture. However, if you are hosting vegan guests or avoiding dairy yourself, it is incredibly easy to make this dish dairy-free without sacrificing an ounce of coziness.
To swap out the dairy, you can seamlessly replace the heavy cream with your favorite plant-based alternatives. Soy milk or almond milk work beautifully for a lighter touch, while cashew cream adds an unparalleled richness that mimics heavy dairy almost perfectly
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If you want to take the texture a step further—regardless of whether you use dairy or plant milk—here is a quick pro-tip: blend up a cup or two of the cooked beans until completely smooth, and then stir them back into the pot
This simple step creates a naturally thick, velvety broth that ties the whole dish together, giving you the ultimate comfort food experience in every single spoonful.
Whether you need a quick weeknight dinner, a refreshing lunch, or a crowd-pleasing dip, this single recipe has you covered.
Creamy Lemon Chickpeas & Cannellini Beans Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15ml)
- 3-4 shallots depending on size, minced (or 1/2 Cup onions)
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic Paste or 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Red Miso Paste
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, or more for more heat
- 1 15 oz can of Chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 1 15 oz can of Cannellini Beans (aka white navy beans)
- 1 cup Organic Heavy Cream (or 1 cup Nut Milk or Cashew Cream- see below)
- 1 cup chicken broth or veggie broth, plus additional as needed
- 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast (don't skip this...add amazing umami flavor)
- 1 Tablespoon Turmeric
- 1-2 Tablespoons Arrowroot powder to thicken
- Zest & juice from 1 Lemon (or less juice if preferred)
- Salt to taste, lots of fresh Cracked Pepper
- Fresh Parsley garnish- Optional
- Top with Grated Parmesan Cheese -optional
- Serve with warm Sourdough Bread- optional (or over rice)
Directions:
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil
- Add the shallots (or onions) and garlic paste, cook till onions are clear
- Stir in the miso paste and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, stirring
- Add the Heavy Cream (or cashew cream or nut milk), Broth and nutritional yeast, stirring to combine and simmer for a a few minutes.
- Add the arrowroot powder to thicken and stir well
- Add the Chickpeas and Cannellini beans
- Add the salt & pepper & Turmeric, stir to blend
- Stir a bit and turn heat down. Once thickened you can turn off the heat
- stir in the lemon juice & Zest
- Serve onto plates and top with Parsley & Parmesan Cheese
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Serve with Warm Sourdough Bread or over Rice if preferre, either way I promise this won't last long in your house!
Cashew Cream
To make Cashew Cream, Pour Boiling water over 1 Cup of raw, unsalted cashews and let sit 1 hour. Rinse and add to blender with ½ Cup of water. Blend at high speed until smooth and creamy (add more water if needed). You can add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar or sweetener of choice for a slightly sweeter flavor.
DOWNLOAD RECIPE HERE
Watch this come together on instagram HERE
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