It’s August and the tomatoes are TOMATOING. If you are like me and planted tomatoes in June and noiw have a situation, this recipe is meant for you.

These Creamy Roasted Tomatoes with Cannellini Beans are one of those recipes that will become part of your regular rotation. And you don’t even need a spoon.

Juicy tomatoes are roasted until they blister and burst, then blended with sautéed onion and garlic into the creamiest tomato base. Add coconut milk, white beans, kale, miso and nutritional yeast and you get a cozy, ridiculously flavorful meal that tastes like it took way more effort than it actually did. And the crusty bread is basically mandatory.

As a performance dietitian, I love meals like this because they’re a reminder that performance nutrition doesn’t have to look like plain chicken, rice and broccoli. A meal can be comforting, plant-forward and genuinely delicious while still giving your body the carbohydrates, protein, fiber and micronutrients it needs to feel and perform its best.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is one of those recipes that you will fall in love with. It’s creamy without requiring heavy cream, packed with vegetables, full of fiber and plant-based protein, and comes together with mostly pantry staples. And… It tastes incredible.

Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavor and gives them a subtle sweetness. White miso and nutritional yeast add that salty, savory umami flavor that makes the sauce taste like it’s been simmering all afternoon. Coconut milk makes everything rich and creamy, while the cannellini beans turn it into an actual meal. Serve it with toasted sourdough or your favorite crusty bread and prepare to scrape the bowl clean.

A Performance Dietitian’s Take

Cannellini beans are one of my favorite ingredients for building satisfying plant-forward meals because they provide a combination of plant protein, carbohydrates and fiber. And that’s an important distinction.

When you’re training, carbohydrates aren’t something you need to avoid, they’re actually one of your body’s primary fuel sources for higher-intensity exercise. Pairing carbohydrate-rich foods with protein helps create meals that support both fueling and recovery. This recipe also includes tomatoes, kale, onion and garlic, giving you an easy way to get a variety of plant foods into one meal.

For athletes and active women, I would serve this with a generous piece of crusty bread rather than eating the beans alone. And if your individual protein needs are higher, you can easily add another protein source alongside it. Performance nutrition doesn’t mean making every meal as lean or low-calorie as possible. It means eating enough, and building meals that actually support what you’re asking your body to do.

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3–5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• 1 tablespoon tamari, plus more to taste
• ½ bunch kale (or 2–3 large leaves), stems removed and chopped
• Crusty bread, for serving

How to Make Roasted Tomatoes with Cannellini Beans

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Add the tomatoes to a cast-iron skillet or baking dish and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast until the tomatoes are soft, blistered and beginning to burst, about 20–25 minutes.
2. While the tomatoes roast, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, garlic and salt. Sauté for 3–5 minutes, or until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
3. Add the coconut milk, tomato paste, cumin, nutritional yeast, white miso and tamari. Stir well and allow everything to gently simmer for about 5–7 minutes so the flavors can come together.
4. Transfer the roasted tomatoes to the pot. Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the tomato, onion and garlic mixture until creamy. You can also transfer the mixture to a regular blender, blend until smooth and return it to the pot.
5. Stir in the drained cannellini beans and chopped kale. Simmer for another 3–5 minutes, or until the beans are warmed through and the kale is tender and bright green. Taste and adjust with additional tamari or salt if needed.
6. Spoon into bowls and serve warm with plenty of crusty bread for dipping.

How to Make This Higher in Protein

Cannellini beans provide plant-based protein, but if you’re aiming for a higher-protein meal, especially around training, you can build on the base recipe.

Try serving it with a protein-rich side, adding extra cannellini beans, topping it with hemp hearts, or pairing it with eggs, fish or another protein source that works for you. You could also serve it over a higher-protein grain (instead of, or in addition to) the bread.

The goal isn’t to turn every recipe into a protein bomb. It’s to look at the entire meal and make sure it gives you enough fuel for your individual needs.

Can I Use a Different Type of Bean?

Absolutely. Cannellini beans are especially good here because they’re mild and creamy, but great northern beans or navy beans would work well too. Chickpeas would also work, although they’ll give the finished dish a slightly firmer texture.

Can I Use a Different Milk?

The full-fat coconut milk gives this recipe its rich, creamy consistency. If you don’t love coconut milk, you could experiment with an unsweetened creamy plant milk, but the final sauce will likely be thinner. If using a thinner milk, start with less and add more as needed.

Storage + Meal Prep

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for approximately 3–4 days. The beans will continue soaking up some of the sauce as they sit, so you may want to add a splash of water or milk when reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.