• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Closet Cooking

Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Top Recipes
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • 6 Ingredient Meals
    • Slow Cooker Meals
    • One Pan Meals
    • By Course
      • Main Course
      • Side Dish
      • Dessert
      • Appetizer/Snack
      • More
    • By Diet
      • Gluten-free
      • Low-carb
      • Vegetarian
      • More
    • By Meat
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Lamb
      • Egg
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
      • More
    • By Cuisine
      • Cajun and Creole
      • Chinese
      • Greek
      • Italian
      • Japanese
      • Korean
      • Mexican
      • Thai
      • Vietnamese
      • More
    • By Type
      • Burger
      • Cake
      • Cookie
      • Dip
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Salad
      • Sandwich
      • Soup
      • More
    • By Ingredient
      • Avocado
      • Bacon
      • Cauliflower
      • Mushroom
      • Pumpkin
      • Quinoa
      • Shrimp
      • Strawberry
      • More
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
Never miss a recipe! Subscribe to the email Newsletter!

Mashed White Beans with Spinach and Olives

[heart_this] · Jan 7, 2011 · 30 Comments

Mashed White Beans with Spinach and Olives

I am a huge fan of mashed potatoes! They are nice and light and fluffy and so addictively good even when flavoured simply with milk and butter. A while ago I had come across the concept of mashed white beans in the form of this recipe for mashed white beans with spinach and olives on Choosy Beggars . I was immediately intrigued by the idea of mashed white beans and the flavours in this recipe were right down my alley! Recently I have been trying to go for some lighter and healthier dishes and it seemed like the perfect time to try some mashed beans.
These mashed beans are pretty easy to make and for the most part the ingredients will come from your pantry. If you have any fresh herbs lingering in your fridge that need using this dish is perfect for using them up but if you don’t have them then dried are good as well. The mashed white beans certainly were packed with flavour and oh the aroma! All of the herbs in the beans quickly filled my apartment with the most amazingly aromas and they really took this dish over the edge. Every time I entered my apartment for the next while, I caught a whiff of those herbs and I was immediately craving a bowl of the mashed beans! Even with all of the flavours and the aromas, I have to say that my favorite part of this dish was how creamy the mashed beans were. They definitely give mashed potatoes a run for they money.

Mashed White Beans with Spinach and Olives

Mashed White Beans with Spinach and Olives

Cook Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Servings: 4
ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans white beans (drained and rinsed) (or 3 cups cooked beans, from 1 cup dry)
  • 4 sprigs thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dry)
  • 2 sprigs rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dry)
  • 2 sprigs oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dry)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
  • 1/4 cup kalamata olives (pitted and coarsely chopped)
  • 1 (8 ounce) package fresh spinach (rinsed and coarsely chopped)
  • 1/2 lemon (juice)
directions
  1. Heat the oil in a pan.
  2. Add the onion and saute until lightly golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
  4. Add the broth, beans, herbs, salt and pepper and simmer. covered, until the beans start to break down, about 20 minutes.
  5. Remove the herbs and mash half of the beans.
  6. Add as much broth as needed to get the beans to your desired consistency.
  7. Mix in the olives and the spinach.
  8. Cook until the spinach just wilts, remove from heat and hit it with a splash of lemon juice.
Similar Recipes:
Spinach, White Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup
Cilantro and Lime Refried Beans
Tuna, White Bean and Kale Soup

Food, Gluten-free, Italian, Recipe, Side Dish, Vegetarian

eCookbook Bundle Cover

Get ALL 16 Closet Cooking eCookbooks in a bundle for 70% off! Enjoy some of the tastiest recipes from Closet Cooking along with exclusive cookbook recipes!

Get the Cookbook Bundle Now!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. giz says

    January 8, 2011 at 1:01 am

    Love the mix on this recipe – it's like a meditteranean bible come to life.
    Happy New Year!

    Reply
  2. Kalyn says

    January 8, 2011 at 1:14 am

    Sounds like a definite winner!

    Reply
  3. Jennifer and Jaclyn @ sketch-free vegan says

    January 8, 2011 at 2:13 am

    have I told you I love you?!

    Reply
  4. Dinners and Dreams says

    January 8, 2011 at 2:18 am

    Mashed white beans sound even better than mashed potatoes even though I'm a big fan of the latter too.

    Have a nice weekend!

    Nisrine

    Reply
  5. [email protected] says

    January 8, 2011 at 3:02 am

    This recipe sounds really delicious. I can't wait to try it. Sooo healthy too!

    Reply
  6. ♥peachkins♥ says

    January 8, 2011 at 5:40 am

    looks good!

    Reply
  7. Les rêves d'une boulangère (Brittany) says

    January 8, 2011 at 6:34 am

    So fantastic-looking! And packed with healthy ingredients.

    Reply
  8. Prathima Rao says

    January 8, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    What an awesome spread u have in ur blog!!! Now glad to be following u…!!!

    Reply
  9. jeanette says

    January 8, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    This sounds so flavorful with all the different herbs and olives. Mashed white beans are so much better for you than regular potatoes too, and I love the spinach in the dish.

    Reply
  10. janet says

    January 8, 2011 at 2:14 pm

    Kevin, this looks like such an awesome recipe. I love your pick of flavours. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Rachel says

    January 8, 2011 at 3:08 pm

    What an intriguing and different dish! I love all the ingredients and the end result is beautiful with all that green.

    Reply
  12. Di says

    January 8, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    Looks delicious, full of flavor and very healthy!

    Reply
  13. Choosy Beggar Tina says

    January 8, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    Kevin, so glad that you enjoyed this dish!! Yours looks delicious and photographed much better than mine did. Hey, it must be braised white bean season….someone else posted it today too!

    http://cupcakesandkale.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/beans-and-greens/

    Happy New Year

    Reply
  14. Callie Grayson says

    January 8, 2011 at 6:14 pm

    oh, my this looks so good! perfect for a winter meal!!!
    I will add this to my list of must cook list!!
    xx
    callie

    Reply
  15. MedifastCoupon says

    January 8, 2011 at 6:47 pm

    This dish is full of protien and flavour. What a great idea for a vegetarian dish.

    Reply
  16. Stefania says

    January 8, 2011 at 10:58 pm

    Che meraviglia di ricetta , ciao

    Reply
  17. a-man says

    January 8, 2011 at 11:49 pm

    Nice photo and an interesting bean recipe!!
    Thank you for posting.

    Reply
  18. Alisa Fleming says

    January 9, 2011 at 5:23 pm

    Marvelous symphony of flavors Kevin! This post really caught my eye … and my appetite!

    Reply
  19. Lisa says

    January 9, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    I love your blog!
    Always great recipes!

    Reply
  20. Kel says

    January 9, 2011 at 11:40 pm

    Fantastic! This is being added to the very long list of must make recipes. It is going to the top, however!

    Reply
  21. Ashley says

    January 10, 2011 at 3:23 am

    i;m seriously drooling for this…

    Reply
  22. Jan says

    January 10, 2011 at 5:24 am

    Oooh yum – a great idea!

    Reply
  23. 餅 says

    January 10, 2011 at 11:07 am

    Great! I´m gonna try this fr my next, once a week recipe

    thanks!

    Reply
  24. Joanne says

    January 10, 2011 at 11:16 am

    I had some mashed white beans in a restaurant the other day that had me literally swooning! Love the spinach and olive add-ins here!

    Reply
  25. Emma says

    January 10, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    Oh wow this looks so delicious and healthy. Lovely ingredients.

    Reply
  26. Heather says

    January 10, 2011 at 3:44 pm

    Mmmm….nothing not to love about this recipe!!

    Reply
  27. krissy says

    January 15, 2011 at 2:21 am

    I made this last night, and even though I forgot to buy an onion for the recipe, didn't have any rosemary on hand, and used veggie broth, it was absolutely wonderful! An easy-peasy dish and another delish vegetarian meal. Thanks!

    Reply
  28. MedifastCoupons says

    April 4, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    I'm going to try and give this recipe a try tonight. I think it might be a good way to get my kids to eat spinach!

    Reply
  29. Jenny Flake says

    January 10, 2014 at 1:25 pm

    Now this is my kind of dish! Healthy and gorgeous!!

    Reply
  30. Jacquie M. says

    January 10, 2019 at 12:05 pm

    This sounds great Kevin. It has all my favorite things, can’t wait to try it. Also keep those emails coming, love getting them.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to the free Closet Cooking email newsletter and get a FREE copy of the eBook:
The Best of Closet Cooking!

About Me

Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
Read More

The Best of Closet Cooking 2023 – FREE eCookbook

The Best of Closet Cooking Book Cover

eCookbook Bundle

eCookbook Bundle

Top Recipes

Chicken and Avocado Burritos
Ham and Potato Corn Chowder
Mexican Street Corn Nachos
Balsamic Garlic Grilled Mushroom Skewers
Baked Firecracker Chicken
Caprese Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Balsamic Soy Roasted Garlic Mushrooms
Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet
Parmesan Roasted Carrot Fries
Asiago Roasted Onions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
About | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Copyright © 2007-2023, Closet Cooking Ltd. All Rights Reserved.