Our favorite cannellini bean recipes will help you put that can or bag of beans to good use.

By

Mimi Young

Editor

Mimi Young is an editor and pastry chef. She has also curated and written numerous recipe roundups for Serious Eats.

Published January 09, 2026

Serious Eats / Qi Ai

Beans are protein-rich, versatile, and budget-friendly, making them a pantry staple for many home cooks. There are many kinds of beans to choose from, but my favorite may be the cannellini: The white bean has a thin skin and is luxuriously creamy, and its neutral flavor profile makes it a great addition to soups, salads, stews, and more. Below, I’ve rounded up some of our favorite cannellini bean recipes—including a white chicken chili, French cassoulet, and an ultra-smooth bean dip—that will help you put that bag or can of beans to good use. (Just give the beans a soak in a brine of baking soda and salt if you’re making them from scratch; this will tenderize the beans and reduce the cooking time.)

Serious Eats / Greg Dupree

We don’t hand out superlatives willy-nilly, so when we call this version of white chili with tender chicken "the best," it’s because it’s truly phenomenal. We char fresh green chiles to bring brightness and a rich smokiness to the dish, then purée some of the beans until they’re completely smooth. Stirring these puréed beans back into the pot, along with a healthy handful of shredded cheese, turns the broth into a rich, creamy base for the stew.

Serious Eats / Qi Ai

Loubia is a one-pot Moroccan stew practically cooks itself. Rich, flavorful, and nourishing, it features creamy white beans and spoon-tender chunks of lamb simmered with tomatoes, cumin, paprika, ginger, and turmeric. Brining the beans in a solution of salt and baking soda ensures they’re ultra-tender, and blooming the spices in hot oil enhances their flavor, resulting in a more complex-tasting stew.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

’Nduja—spicy, spreadable Calabrian fermented pork sausage—gives this simple stew of cannellini beans and kale its rich, savory flavor. This hearty meal comes together in just 30 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights. Top it off with gremolata-inspired breadcrumbs for extra crunch and a pop of brightness.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Ribollita is traditionally made with cannellini beans and thickened with bread—think of it as the heartier Tuscan cousin of minestrone. Cook it to brothier consistency for a soup or simmer it until it’s a thick porridge that can then be fried into a pancake. Feel free to riff on it, too. Add vegetables that you like, add vegetables that are in season, make it up, invent, improvise—you really can’t go wrong.

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Serious Eats / Sasha Marx

Creamy cannellini beans are an ideal stand-in for silken tofu; both balance the assertive punch of funky fermented chile-bean paste, dried chiles, and the numbing spice of Sichuan peppercorns. A small amount of ground meat gives the stew extra heft, while garlic, ginger, and scallions, provide a warm depth of flavor.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Creamy beans, hearty greens, and pasta are a winning combination: It’s an easy, filling meal that can be made with mostly pantry ingredients. Plus, it’s ready in just about 30 minutes. Garlic, anchovies, and dried chiles form a flavorful base for the sauce, along with a splash of white wine for acidity and subtle sweetness.

Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

For a deeply flavorful soup, use the best dried beans you can get your hands on, and cook them with plenty of aromatics like onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and fresh herbs.

Serious Eats /J. Kenji López-Alt

Minestrone can be made with a variety of vegetables, starches, and meats—or no meat at all. It’s really about layering flavors by sautéing some vegetables, simmering others, and using the bean-cooking liquid for body and flavor. To keep the pasta from becoming soggy, cook it separately, then add it to the soup just before serving.

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Serious Eats / Sasha Marx

Cannellini beans were made for ultra-smooth creamy dips like this. We process the cooked beans with some of its cooking liquid, and and steep raw garlic in lemon juice to tamp down the allium’s harshness. A simple, punchy puttanesca-inspired roasted cherry tomato topping offers a sweet, tangy kick.

Serious Eats / Sasha Marx

Canned tuna and canned cannellini beans make for an incredibly easy meal when you just don’t feel like cooking. A quick soak in ice water helps tone down the pungency of the red onion, and marinating it in vinegar and salt gives it a pleasant touch of acid.

Serious Eats / Matthew and Emily Clifton

This 20-minute affair pairs creamy white cannellini beans with briny olives, fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, and a bright vinaigrette.