White Bean and Kale Vegan Freezer Meal

This White Bean Skillet Meal is the perfect way to enjoy extra dried or canned pulses – that is, beans, chickpeas, lentils, dry peas – that you have in your pantry. It’s a fantastic vegan freezer meal that’s filling, nutritious, and best of all, delicious! You can learn more pulse tips and yummy recipe ideas at pulses.org.

This post is sponsored by pulses.org.

What Makes This Vegan Skillet Recipe So Wonderful?

• Taste. This white bean and kale has so much flavor, your family will hardly believe that it’s vegan friendly! The delicious bite of the cannellini beans and the earthy flavor of the kale mixed in with tasty artichoke hearts, fire roasted tomatoes, garlic and more combine into one vegan skillet you won’t soon forget!
• Convenience. Have some canned or dried pulses and looking for a delicious recipe to use them in? You’ve come to the right place! This vegan dish is easily one of the most flavorful ways to use those pulses, and your whole family is sure to agree!
• Freezer-Friendly. Not only is this dish a great way to use some of the canned beans you have on hand, but it also freezes well. That way you can enjoy the dish for dinner and have the convenience of being able to reheat it later for another meal.
• Easy. This white bean vegan recipe is exceptionally easy to put together! Everything is conveniently cooked in a single skillet, meaning less pans for you to have to clean later. The ease of this dish is reason alone for you to make it, let alone how wonderfully tasty it is!
• Healthy. Pulses like the cannellini beans used in this vegan skillet are low in fat and sodium, are a great source of iron, fiber, folate and potassium, are rich in plant proteins, and are cholesterol and gluten free!

What Goes Into This Vegan White Bean Skillet?

This dish is made with simple, hearty and healthy ingredients, many of which you probably already have on hand! And if you don’t happen to have them, you should have no problem finding them all in your local grocery store.

You’ll only need:

• Some extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
• A white or yellow onion
• Some oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• A couple cloves of garlic
• Some vegetable broth (or white wine if you’d prefer)
• A couple of cans of cannellini beans
• A can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
• A can of artichoke hearts
• Some Italian spices
• Fresh kale
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• Crusty bread for serving (optional)

How Do You Make This Recipe?

Lucky for you, this recipe is as simple as it is delicious! You’ll have a delectable vegan skillet dish that takes you less than 30 minutes to make from beginning to end!

1. Warm the olive or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your onions and cook until softened (about 3 minutes).
2. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for an additional minute.
3. Deglaze the pan with your choice of vegetable broth or white wine.
4. Add the beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, artichoke hearts and Italian spices to the skillet. Stir until combined.  Cover the pan and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes.  While this is cooking, turn on your oven and start warming the crusty bread. 
5. Uncover the skillet and add the kale, stirring until it wilts. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Squeeze the juice of one lemon and drizzle it on right before eating.
6. Serve with the warm crusty bread.

Can I Freeze This Skillet Meal?

You definitely can!  Make this meal as directed up without adding the kale into it.  Let it cool down and add it to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Freeze.

To Thaw: Add it to the fridge the night before to thaw. When you are ready to prepare it, add it to the skillet, warm it up uncovered and add the kale in, stirring until it wilts.  Simmer 3-4 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of one lemon and drizzle it on right before eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Examples Of Pulses?

Pulses are the edible seeds of leguminous plants, which includes dry peas, chickpeas, lentils and beans. Pulses are packed with plant based protein and fiber and are a great low-cost choice to keep your family full while keeping them healthy at the same time.

Pulses are the perfect shelf-stable food option, being low in cost while being healthy and having endless culinary possibilities. They truly are the perfect non-perishable ingredient!

What are Cannellini Beans?

Cannellini beans are in the white bean family. They are a white color, have a creamy texture, shaped like a kidney bean and have a mild nutty flavor.  Low in fat, they are loaded with protein and fiber and have lots of other nutrients!

Can You Freeze Plant Based Meals?

Absolutely!  Here are few of my favorite tips.

• Use quality airtight containers or freezer bags (here are some of my favorites!).
• Cool your meals down before you add them in the freezer so you don’t get freezer burn.
• Label our meals with the date you made it. I like to use a sharpie and stickers or freezer tape!
• Portion meals into single-servings or family-size before you freeze them so that they are frozen in the correct portions.

What is a Skillet Food?

When you think of skillet dishes, you typically think of chicken or beef dishes that are cooked in a skillet along with a myriad of veggies. But why not make a vegan skillet dish instead? You can cook delicious and healthy veggies in your skillet as well and enjoy all the crispy goodness you get from skillet while still enjoying a completely vegan friendly meal! So when it comes to finding the perfect skillet food, don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

Tips And Tricks For Making This White Bean Vegan Freezer Meal

• Cannellini Beans.  I personally love the mild nutty flavor and the creamy texture that these white beans add to this dish. I always keep extra cans of these beans in my pantry for a quick meal. 
• Artichoke Hearts. I chopped the artichoke hearts for this recipe, but you can also choose to leave them whole. Leaving them whole makes for a pretty presentation as well!
• Crusty Bread. The crusty bread is also completely optional, but it adds a great crunch that really breaks up the texture of the dish.

Want More Delicious Skillet Recipes?

• One-Skillet Sausage Tortellini & Veggies – This dish is a crazy easy meal you can have made in under 30 minutes!
• Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps – These lettuce wraps are stuffed with delightful morsels of savory and sweet sesame chicken!
• Creamy Hazelnut Chicken Penne Pasta – This creamy pasta dish is a great break from the past norm and your whole family will love it!

If you make this White Bean and Kale Vegan Freezer Meal, I would love to see it! Snap a picture of your skillet and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!

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