One-Pot Lemon Zucchini Beans

Top view of creamy zucchini and beans with fresh arugula garnish

One-Pot Lemon Zucchini Beans

Creamy one-pot lemon zucchini beans with cashew cream, basil, and arugula. High protein, fiber, and iron, ready in about 20 minutes, bright and pantry-friendly.

Author Sarah Cobacho (plantbaes.com)

PREP TIME10

COOK TIME20

Soaking time20

TOTAL TIME30

Servings 2

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mediterranean-Inspired

Keyword arugula, basil, cannellini beans, cashew cream, easy weeknight, garlic, gluten-free dinner, High Protein, High-Iron, lemon zucchini, miso paste, nutritional yeast, one-pot dinner, onions, red chili, soy milk, sun-dried tomatoes, white beans, zucchini

Ingredients

Main

2 tsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 small red chili finely chopped
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
2 small zucchinis diced into small pieces
2.5 cups cannellini beans cooked
1 lemon zest and 2 tbsp of juice
¼ cup fresh basil
2 tbsp pine nuts toasted
1 cup arugula
sea salt flakes to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cashew cream

¼ cup cashews
1 cup dairy-free milk I used soy, can substitute water
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp white miso paste

Instructions

Prepare the sauce: Soak the cashews in hot water for 20 minutes (if using a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix, you can skip this step). Drain, then add the cashews to a blender along with the milk, nutritional yeast, and white miso paste. Blend until smooth.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is slightly translucent.
Add the garlic, chili, and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant.
Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the beans, lemon zest, and the sauce to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the sauce is heated through and slightly thickened.
Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice (to help preserve vitamin C). Using your hands, tear the basil and add it to the pot. Stir. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
Serve in shallow bowls topped with arugula and pine nuts, and enjoy with crusty bread.

Video

Notes

For iron support: use lemon (rich in vitamin C) with onion and garlic to aid absorption. If iron is an urgent concern, use non-fortified soy milk or water, as calcium can compete with iron absorption.

Oil-free: water-fry the onion and use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes.

Nut-free: substitute cashews with sunflower seeds and pine nuts with pumpkin seeds.

Nutritional Information - Per Serving