Garlic Alfredo White Beans

This is a garlicky vegan white bean and mushroom alfredo with my amazingly creamy alfredo sauce and sautéed spinach. It is hearty and amazingly delicious with some toasted sourdough, garlic bread, pita bread, or flatbread of choice. It’s also great served over pasta or cauliflower steaks! 30 minutes, 1-pan, soy-free with gluten-free and nut-free options

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The sauce for this vegan white bean and mushroom alfredo gets its creaminess from cashews seasoned with Italian herbs and a little bit of miso for tang.

You use a small amount of flour to help the sauce thicken, and it’s totally fine to use a gluten-free flour blend for this, if needed. This easy cashew Alfredo is great to use in many ways. You can easily make this nut-free by using a mix of hemp seeds and sunflower seeds instead of the cashews in the sauce.

That creamy vegan alfredo sauce pairs beautifully with hearty white beans, earthy mushrooms, and the garlicky spinach for a one-pan dish that’s ready in about 30 minutes. It is so flavorful and comforting and flexible! Use other beans or vegan chickin subs, use greens of choice and serve over pasta or with bread!

Why You’ll Love Vegan White Bean and Mushroom Alfredo

• easy, creamy, blender alfredo sauce
• packed with veggies and hearty beans!
• versatile: serve with bread of choice to dip or over pasta
• 30 minutes, 1-pan meal
• naturally soy-free with gluten-free and nut-free options

More Vegan Alfredo Recipes

• Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
• Spinach Alfredo Skillet Lasagna
• Pumpkin Alfredo
• Pumpkin Seed Alfredo
• Cauliflower Alfredo Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

Vegan White Bean and Mushroom Garlic Alfredo

4.99 from 51 votes

By: Vegan Richa

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 3

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

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This is a garlicky vegan white bean and mushroom alfredo with my amazingly creamy alfredo sauce and garlicky sautéed spinach. 30 minutes, 1-pan, soy-free with gluten-free and nut-free options

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Equipment

• blender

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For The Garlic Spinach and Mushrooms

• ▢ 2 teaspoons oil
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped onion
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 6 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes
• ▢ 4 ounces thinly sliced mushrooms, such as cremini, white or portobello
• ▢ 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup water, or non-dairy milk, or more if needed
• ▢ 15- ounce can white beans, or great northern beans or cannellini beans, drained or 1.5 cups cooked

For The cashew Alfredo Sauce

• ▢ 1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 15 minutes in hot water
• ▢ 1 cup non-dairy milk, or water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian herb blend
• ▢ 2 teaspoons miso
• ▢ 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, or use a gluten-free blend for gluten-free

For Garnish

• ▢ vegan parmesan, pepper flakes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

Cook the garlic and spinach.

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the garlic is starting to turn golden on most of the edges.
• Then, mix in the onion and the salt. Increase the heat back to medium, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add splashes of water in between to help the onions cook evenly. 3 mins
• Now, add in the spinach and pepper flakes and mix in. Cover with the lid and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. If there are some frozen spinach pieces, continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the spinach is cooked through, adding a splash of water if needed. (If using fresh spinach, cook until wilted)
• Remove half of this garlic spinach mixture and set aside.
• Next, add the mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Mix in, then cover and continue to cook until the mushrooms are almost cooked through. Meanwhile blend the sauce.
• Blend the drained cashews with the rest of the alfredo sauce ingredients, blending until smooth. I usually blend it for a minute, then let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes, and then blend again for a minute and repeat this 2 to 3 times until the cashews are blended in completely.

Finish the alfredo.

• Then add the cashew mixture to the skillet when the mushrooms are almost done, and mix well.
• Use the half cup of water to rinse out the blender, and add that to the skillet and mix in, then mix in the beans and bring to a boil.
• Taste and adjust the salt and flavor, then cover the pan and continue cooking for another minute. (You can also adjust the consistency by adding less or more water, based on how creamy or thick you want the mixture. The cashew mixture will thicken quite a bit as it sits, so if you don't want it to thicken too much, don't cook for too long.)
• Once done, open the lid, then add the reserved spinach all over the beans, add some vegan parmesan and pepper flakes and serve with some toasted bread, garlic bread, sourdough or flatbread . You can also serve it over pasta or roasted cauliflower steak.
• Storage: store refrigerated for upto 3 days. Freeze for upto 2 months.

Video

Notes

Higher protein and fiber: serve over high protein pasta or with whole grain bread/pita bread, use silken tofu or a mix of tofu and hemp seeds for the cream. With 2 slices whole grain  grain bread, protein will jump by 7-8 grams and fiber by 6 gm. 

Nutfree, blend about 1/2 cup of silken tofu or vegan cream cheese with the non-dairy milk and the rest of the ingredients and use. Or use half hemp seeds and half sunflower seeds instead of the cashews.

Gluten-free:  use gluten-free flour in the sauce mixture.

Soy-free: use soy-free non-dairy milk. Use chickpea miso or omit miso 

spinach:  you can use fresh chopped spinach or other baby greens. Cook until wilted and proceed. 

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 687mg, Potassium: 1134mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 6714IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 312mg, Iron: 7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• oil – To sauté.
• aromatics – Garlic and onion give the vegan alfredo such an amazing flavor!
• frozen spinach – Thaw before using.
• pepper flakes – A little heat brings out all of the other flavors!
• mushrooms – Use cremini, white mushrooms, portobello, or similar.
• balsamic vinegar – Adds a little tang and depth of flavor to balance the creaminess in the alfredo sauce.
• white beans – Use regular white beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans.
• water or non-dairy milk – This adds moisture to the sauce in the pan and the blended alfredo sauce. Choose soy-free or nut-free non-dairy milk, if needed.
• raw cashews – Soaked cashews make the vegan alfredo sauce creamy! For nut-free, you can use silken tofu or a mix of hemp and sunflower seeds instead of the cashews.
• Italian herb blend – To season the sauce.
• miso – Adds umami and tang to the sauce.
• flour – Choose all-purpose or gluten-free flour blend to thicken the sauce.

Tips

• Keep an eye on the garlic and stir often to prevent burning.
• If the pan is drying out while you’re cooking the onions, a little splash of water will help add moisture and help the onions cook evenly.
• You can adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding water toward the end of cooking to thin it out or by simmering a little longer to thicken, depending on your preference.

How to Make Vegan White Bean and Mushroom Alfredo

Cook the garlic and spinach first.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the garlic is starting to turn golden on most of the edges.

Then, mix in the onion and the salt. Increase the heat back to medium, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add splashes of water in between to help the onions cook evenly. 

Now, add in the spinach and pepper flakes and mix in. Cover with the lid and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then open the lid and check to make sure that there are no frozen pieces of spinach left. Add a little bit of water, if needed, and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the spinach is cooked through. 

Remove half of this spinach mixture and set aside. 

Next, add the mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Mix in, then cover and continue to cook until the mushrooms are almost cooked through. 

Make the blended alfredo sauce while the mushrooms cook.

Blend the drained cashews with the rest of the alfredo sauce ingredients, blending until smooth. I usually blend it for a minute, then let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes, and then blend again for a minute and repeat this 2 to 3 times until the cashews are blended in completely. 

Now, you’re ready to finish the alfredo.

Then add the cashew mixture to the skillet when the mushrooms are almost done, and mix well.

Use the half cup of water to rinse out the blender, and add that to the skillet and mix in, then mix in the beans and bring to a boil. 

Taste and adjust the salt and flavor, then cover the pan and continue cooking for another minute. You can also adjust the consistency by adding less or more water, based on how creamy or thick you want the mixture. The cashew mixture will thicken quite a bit as it sits, so if you don’t want it to thicken too much, don’t cook for too long.

Once done, open the lid, then add the reserved spinach all over the beans, add some vegan parmesan and pepper flakes and serve with some toasted bread, garlic bread, pita bread, naan bread or any other bread of choice. You can also serve it over pasta or roasted cauliflower steak.

Frequently Asked Questions