Sun Dried Tomato, Kale, and White Bean Skillet

January 18, 2019

Sun dried tomatoes are a fairly expensive ingredient, but I think this recipe perfectly demonstrates how higher priced ingredients, when properly combined with less expensive ingredients, can still be used to make affordable recipes. This warm Sun Dried Tomato, Kale, and White Bean Skillet is a super fast dish that is almost like a warm salad. It’s great served with a piece (or two) of crusty garlic bread, or even a fluffy piece of naan.

But be warned, this recipe is a fiber powerhouse, so if you have a stomach that is sensitive to fiber, you may need to skip this one. 😅

Sun Dried Tomato, Kale, and White Bean Skillet

Additions and Substitutions

There are a lot of fun places you could take this skillet. I’m trying to cut back on cheese a bit, but if I wasn’t, I’d probably sprinkle a little Parmesan, feta, or even goat cheese into this skillet. MMmmm. If you’re not into kale, you can definitely use spinach, but I’d stir it in right at the end because it wilts quickly. I wanted my dish to be vegetarian, but if that’s not an issue for you, I would suggest adding bacon or crumbled Italian Sausage!

Sun Dried Tomato, Kale, and White Bean Skillet

This quick Sun Dried Tomato, Kale, and White Bean Skillet is a fast, flavorful, and fiber-licious meal that is ready for perfect for weekly meal prepping.

2 15oz. cans cannellini beans, drained ($1.38)
1/2 7oz. jar sun dried tomatoes in oil ($2.14)
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar ($0.03)
1/2 Tbsp dried basil ($0.05)
1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
to taste freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)
pinch red pepper flakes ($0.02)
1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
6 oz. fresh kale, chopped* ($1.60)

Drain and rinse the white beans. Roughly chop the sun dried tomatoes. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp of the oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes with the apple cider vinegar, basil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Set the dressing aside.
Add the olive oil and minced garlic to a large skillet. Sauté the garlic over medium heat for one minute, or just until it begins to soften and becomes fragrant.
Add the chopped kale and 2 Tbsp water to the skillet. Stir and cook over medium heat until the kale has wilted.
Add the drained beans and chopped sun dried tomatoes to the skillet with the kale. Continue to stir and cook until the beans are heated through. Lastly, drizzle the dressing over the skillet and stir to combine, and add salt to taste. Serve warm.

*I used half of a 12oz. bag of pre-chopped kale. You can use up to 8oz. if that’s the package size that you have available.

Step by Step Photos

For this recipe, I used half of this 7 oz. jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, including some of the oil. I’ll probably use the rest next week either in a pasta salad or on a pizza. :) Begin by removing half of the tomatoes and roughly chopping them.

Then use 2 Tbsp of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes to make a vinaigrette. Combine 2 Tbsp of the oil with 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp salt, some freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Also rinse and drain two 15 oz. cans of cannellini beans.

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and two cloves of minced garlic to a large skillet. Sauté the garlic over medium heat for about one minute, or just until it starts to get soft and fragrant. Add 6 oz. fresh chopped kale and 2 Tbsp water to the skillet, and continue to sauté until the kale is wilted (only about 3-5 minutes). The water helps steam and wilt the kale.

Once the kale has wilted, add the drained white beans and chopped sun dried tomatoes. Stir to combine and continue to cook over medium heat until the beans are heated through (only a few more minutes).