Creamy White Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi
Diet Category: Vegan* • Vegetarian • Plant-Based • Dairy-Free* • High-Fibre • Mediterranean-Inspired • One-Pan Dinner
*Check that your gnocchi is vegan/dairy-free, as some gnocchi varieties contain milk or egg.
Introduction
This Creamy White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi is an easy Mediterranean-inspired dinner combining soft, pillowy gnocchi with creamy cannellini beans, baby spinach and flavour-packed sun-dried tomatoes.
Cannellini beans add plant-based protein and fibre, while spinach brings plenty of leafy greens to the dish. Sun-dried tomatoes and a little of their infused oil create a rich, savoury flavour, while plant-based cream and vegetable broth form a silky sauce that coats every piece of gnocchi.
Finished with fresh lemon juice and basil, this creamy vegan gnocchi recipe has the perfect balance of rich, savoury and fresh flavours. It's an excellent choice for a quick vegetarian weeknight dinner, plant-based comfort food or an easy meal when you want something satisfying without spending hours in the kitchen.
Benefits of the Main Ingredients
Cannellini Beans
Cannellini beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein and dietary fibre. They also provide important nutrients including folate, iron, magnesium and potassium. Their naturally soft and creamy texture works especially well in pasta and gnocchi dishes.
Gnocchi
Traditional potato gnocchi provides carbohydrates, making it a satisfying source of energy and a comforting base for the beans and vegetables. Ingredients vary between brands, so checking the label is important if you need the recipe to be vegan or gluten-free.
Baby Spinach
Spinach is a nutrient-dense leafy green providing folate, vitamin K and vitamin A precursors, along with vitamin C, iron, magnesium and carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Sun-dried tomatoes have a concentrated savoury-sweet flavour and provide carotenoid plant compounds, particularly lycopene. Using a little oil from the jar also carries their rich tomato flavour throughout the creamy sauce.
Shallot
Shallots provide a delicate onion flavour and natural sweetness. Like other members of the allium family, they contain naturally occurring sulfur compounds and flavonoid plant compounds.
Plant-Based Cream
Plant-based cream gives the sauce its smooth and luxurious consistency without requiring dairy. Nutritional content varies depending on whether the cream is made from oats, soy, coconut or another plant source, so saturated fat and protein levels can differ between products.
Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice adds acidity and brightness, helping balance the richness of the creamy sauce and sun-dried tomatoes. Its vitamin C can also help improve the absorption of non-haem iron from plant foods.
Fresh Basil
Fresh basil complements tomatoes particularly well and adds a fragrant Mediterranean flavour. It also contains vitamin K and naturally occurring antioxidant plant compounds.
Vegetable Broth
Vegetable broth provides additional savoury flavour and helps create the sauce without requiring large amounts of cream. Choosing a lower-sodium broth can be useful if you want greater control over the salt content of the finished dish.