Sautéed White Beans with Garlic, Sage and Tomatoes is a recipe that you’ll come back to time and time again.
It is such a wonderful side dish to so many main courses, but it’s so delicious on its own, you could easily make a meal out of it with a nice loaf of crusty Italian bread, a leafy green salad, and a glass of wine.
Now we’re talking!
HOW TO PREPARE SAUTÉED WHITE BEANS WITH GARLIC, SAGE AND TOMATOES
You can easily skip soaking the beans overnight and use canned beans to save time. Or, you can soak overnight. Either way is great!
Watch us show you how simple it is to make this amazing Sautéed White Beans with Garlic, Sage and Tomatoes:
The garlic and sage really bring this dish to life.
Be sure to sauté the garlic until it’s a golden brown. But don’t let it burn!
You will love the way your kitchen smells when cooking Sautéed White Beans with Garlic, Sage and Tomatoes
WHITE WINE DEEPENS THE FLAVORS EVEN MORE
And of course cooking with a nice dry white wine enriches the flavor even more.
Pour only a quarter cup into the sauce pan, and then pour a nice glass for yourself. You deserve it..you’re making something spectacular!
The flavors of this Sautéed White Beans with Garlic, Sage and Tomatoes are quintessential Italian.
I absolutely love using certified canned whole San Marzano.
These tomatoes come from the rich soil at the foot of Mount Vesuvius in Italy and they are canned at the height of their season. Read more about them here.
Legend has it that the tomatoes are best when squeezed into the skillet with your hands. Why take a chance? Squeeze away! And it’s kind of fun!.
SAUTÉED WHITE BEANS WITH GARLIC, SAGE AND TOMATOES MAKE AN IDEAL SIDE DISH
Not many recipes are this easy to prepare that still produce such flavorful and amazing results.
I get hungry every time I think about this dish.
Within no time, I’m running to the pantry to get the simple ingredients. This is definitely one of the Loon’s favorite dishes.
OTHER AMAZING SIDE DISHES TO TRY:
- Pesto Pasta with Potatoes and Green Beans
- Braised Escarole with Cannellini Beans
- Southern Baked Beans
- Bodacious Borracho Beans
- Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes
- Black-Eyed Peas with Tomatoes
But in the meantime, how about these amazing Sautéed White Beans with Garlic, Sage and Tomatoes!
AN INTERESTING HISTORY OF BEANS AND BEAN RECIPES
We just love beans of all kinds. But there is something about cannelloni beans that seem extra delicious to us.
I know the history of beans doesn’t really sound fascinating, but actually it is. Read this interesting A Selective History of Beans article from Republic of Beans.
As mentioned, this Sautéed White Beans with Garlic, Sage and Tomatoes recipe is the perfect side dish for so many wonderful main courses, such as our Mediterranean Tuna Steaks.
If this doesn’t make your stomach growl, well…I don’t know what to say to that. Because this is one of those dishes that actually tastes even better than it looks. And it is a gorgeous plate of yumminess!
Sautéed White Beans with Garlic, Sage and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried cannellini beans (or two 15.5 oz. cans, drained)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced about 2 tbsp
- 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped about 1 tbsp
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes drained
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cover the beans with water in a large pot and let soak overnight (if using drained canned beans, skip to step 3)
- Drain beans and re-fill with fresh water in same pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are soft. Drains beans, reserving about 1 cup of liquid.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil.
- Add the garlic and sage and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Add the beans and the squeeze the tomatoes into the beans with your hands. Season with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes, adding reserved liquid if becoming dry.
- Transfer to serving bowl and serve at once, or serve at room temperature.
I made it with fresh tomatoes from the garden and added some red onion. I also didn’t have any wine, so I used white wine vinegar diluted with water. It came out great! Very simple recipe that is easy to alter to use whatever you have on hand. Thanks!
Hi Claire! Woo hoo! We are so happy you had success with the sautéed beans and tomatoes recipe! Sounds like you prepared it perfectly! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us! xoxo Kris & Wesley
I left a message how much I love this recipe last year, and no one ever replied to me, and they replied to everyone else. Did I use the wrong format or something?
Hi Kris! Please accept our deepest apologies! We ALWAYS try and respond to every single comment, because they mean the world to us. But, every now and then, our hectic schedules makes us miss one every now and then. We are thrilled you enjoyed the white beans with garlic, sage, and tomatoes! Thank you so so much for sharing! That truly does mean the world to us! Please stay in touch, we promise to do the same!! Kris & Wesley
Oh God, do I sound like a baby or what? I was having a very bad day at work and wanted to make some comfort food and I remembered this recipe and I love how you respond to everyone it is so sweet. Thank you!!
Fabulous bean recipe tried it last night for quick dinner,yum. Served leftover for breakfast this morning with Sunnyside egg on top and toast!
Hi Brenda! Woo hoo! We are thrilled you loved the white beans dish! And sounds wonderful for breakfast the next day! YUM!!! Thank so much for sharing and for the GREAT review. That means so much to us! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I make this dish OFTEN! I put a slight spin on it and add a short cut pasta like fusilli at the end! We love it so much, it’s perfect! Sometimes when I don’t have san marzano tomatoes, I put cherry tomatoes in a skillet and smash them up as they cook and add them to the bean mixture. Always great!
Hi Tori! The addition of fusilli is brilliant! YUM! And cherry tomatoes are a fantastic addition, too! We are thrilled you are enjoying the recipe and thank you so so much for sharing! That means the world to us!!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Stunningly simple dish with tons of flavor! We took your advice and used San Marzano tomatoes and the difference was noticeable. The first time we made this we had to use dried sage but fresh is so much better. The family loves it as a side to sausage, onions and peppers. This is truly a keeper and we have made it many times.
Hi Scott! We can’t even begin to express how happy this makes us! Sounds like you guys know how to put together some pretty amazing dishes! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing and for the GREAT review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I am looking to make this recipe, can I make this and freeze them? I am going away to the beach with about 20 people and want to use as much “made ahead” dinners/sides as possible!
Hi Jacki! These will freeze just fine! Perfect for a beach feast! Have FUN! Let us know how it turns out! Best, Kris & Wesley
I have not made this yet so could you tell me what you mean by squeezing the tomatoes?
Hi there! We just mean we love to purchase canned whole tomatoes. They seem better (maybe it’s true, or not???)…if you squeeze the whole tomatoes in your hands to break them up into the skillet. You could chop them with a knife or a food processor, or go with canned crushed tomatoes, but we’ve always felt we got the best results when we squeeze the whole tomatoes and breaking them up that way. Hope this helps! Let us know if you make the dish and what you think!
Hello and happy holiday weekend!
I decided to do something different than the regular baked beans for Fourth of July and I made these. Wow!! They are fantastic! And I’m sure after they refrigerate overnight the flavors are going that much better. That is if there any left-I keep wanting to run into the kitchen and get another small bowl full.
Hey there! I love this recipe i’ve been having it twice a month. I was wondering however if I could substitute dried ground sage for the fresh sage? My local grocery runs out of sage very quickly.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Emma! Yay!! We are so so happy you are enjoying the sautéed white beans! They are one of our favorite dishes, too!! You can absolutely go with dried sage, no problem! Just use 1 tsp of dried, vs. 1 tbsp of fresh. Hope this helps!! Best, Kris & Wesley
I’ve been trying many new recipes – trying to find more healthy choices. I saw your recipe and it was intriguing! I used San Marzano tomatoes for the first time and could tell the difference from what I normally use. They gave the dish an ‘Italian’ flavor of sorts. I was planning on using this as a main dish and at the last minute added 2 small links of chicken/cauliflower sausage, sliced. Served it with quinoa and fine green beans. It was delicious as a combination. Thanks for taking me outside my comfort zone!
Hi Cindi! Wow!! It all sounds so amazing! We are so so glad you ventured outside your comfort zone and had such great success!! And thank you SO MUCH for letting us know and for the wonderful review. That means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Does this reheat well as a make-ahead dish for a dinner party?
Hi Carolyn! It does! Don’t make it too far in advance, otherwise, the beans will absorb too much of the liquid. Gently reheat and add additional beef, chicken, or vegetable stock to reach the right consistency. Let us know if you make them and how they turn out! Best, Kris & Wesley
I love using beans in a side dish but this one is good enough as a main dish too. I’ve substituted with lentils and even added in sausage to make it a main dish but even alone it’s just the perfect comfort food especially now that it’s fall. Thank you for this!!
Hi Naomi! We agree so much! These beans make a wonderful side dish, but they make an amazing entree, too, and the addition of sausage is just incredible. Thanks for letting us know and please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
I had ppanned on this for supper, started a cornbread and grabbed all of my ingredients only to realize those white beans I was sure I had weren’t there. I used red lentils instead. Not sure how it compares but it turned out fabulous regardless
Hi Ashley! So sorry for the delayed response! We are THRILLED you had such great success with the recipe and lentils sound wonderful!! You’ve inspired us to try it with lentils, too!! Thanks so much for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Very tasty. Very easy. Thanks!
Awesome!! We are so happy you had such great success with the white beans recipe! That’s one of our favorites, for sure! And thank you for letting us know and for the great review! That means a lot to us! All the best, Kris & Wesley
So glad I found your site! What wonderful recipes you have!! Made this and, unable to ever leave well enough alone, snuck a bit of spinach in. The kids ate it, even the teens. Goal to Mom!
Plus, to anyone on WW Purple Plan, it’s barely 1 sp.
Hi! Can I substitute the white beans for Red beans? Thanks it looks great (all the way here from Israel )
This was a nice quick dish. I used canned beans to the cut time down. and fresh dried sage leaves. Very good!
Hi Jan! Sounds like you did it perfectly! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for letting us know!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Is there a substitute for San Marzano tomatoes. I can’t seem to find them in the markets. I look forward to your response.
Thank you,
Hi Gee! So sorry for the delayed response!! Canned whole tomatoes will work just great. Heinz is good, and so is Cento, or whatever your favorite brand is. We hope this helps and let us know if you make the dish. It’s one of our all-time favorites!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Great tasting rustic bean dish with amazing flavor…..my family loved it ! Will definitely be putting this into the rotation for our ” Meatless Mondays”. Served it over grilled polenta with simple mixed greens salad with balsamic dressing and a lovely red wine . Fabulous!
Hi Carolyn!! We are SO THRILLED you loved the white beans recipe! We have loved that dish for years and so glad you had such great success with it. And thank you for letting us know and for the wonderful review! That means the world to us!! Stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Saw this recipe made on TV and have searched for it forever thank you so much I love these beans
This was delicious. Even our picky 5 year old, who isn’t a fan of tomatoes, seemed to enjoy it. I’m definitely not a cook and this was simple enough for even me to do, that’s saying something!