I love taking concepts from old recipes and reinventing them into something new. For this Tomato Herb Rice with White Beans and Spinach I’ve taken my (not) Sun Dried Tomato Sauce and used it to flavor a rice and bean combo, similar to my Spanish Chickpeas and Rice. The resulting dish is a full flavored, filling concoction that can be served as either a vegetarian (or vegan) main dish, or a side to go with just about any type of grilled meat. After eating my first bowl I thought that this would also be a great meal if topped with a fried egg (because fried eggs on everything).
What Type of Skillet is Best?
As with most rice dishes, the success of this recipe depends greatly on having a heavy bottomed skillet or pot. The heat from your burner must be distributed evenly for the rice to cook evenly, so find your thickest, heaviest pot or deep skillet to use for this recipe. I’m using the 3 qt. covered sauté pan from OXO that came with this set.
Can I Make This with Brown Rice?
Unfortunately simply swapping brown rice for the white rice in this recipe will not work. Brown rice requires more liquid and a longer cooking time to cook through, so several adjustments would need to be made to make brown rice work. Unfortunately I have not tested or developed a brown rice version of this recipe.
Tomato Herb Rice with White Beans and Spinach
Servings 6 8 cups total/1.33 cups eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary ($0.03)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- 3 oz. tomato paste (about 1/4 cup) ($0.33)
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.25)
- 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes ($1.50)
- 1 15oz. can cannellini beans ($1.29)
- 1/4 lb. frozen chopped spinach ($0.43)
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice ($0.48)
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth* ($0.19)
Instructions
- Place the spinach in a bowl and allow it to thaw slightly as you prepare the beginning of the recipe.
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Set the onion aside. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and a little freshly cracked black pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill) to a heavy bottomed pot or deep skillet. Sauté the garlic and spices over medium-low heat for about one minute.
- Add the tomato paste and brown sugar to the pot and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomato paste takes on a deep burgundy color. Add the onion and salt and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, or until the onions become soft and transparent.
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the cannellini beans in a colander. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), cannellini beans, spinach, and uncooked rice to the pot. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir briefly to combine the ingredients.
- Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the contents to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to the lowest setting that allows the liquid to maintain a simmer. Let the pot simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed (there may still be some around the edges. Turn the heat off and let the pot rest, undisturbed, for 10 additional minutes.
- Finally, fluff the contents of the pot with a fork, making sure to not stir vigorously. Serve immediately.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Tomato Herb Rice – Step by Step Photos
Start by mincing two cloves of garlic and dicing one onion so they’re ready to go when you need them. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a heavy bottomed pot or deep skillet, along with the minced garlic, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp rosemary, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a little freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill). Sauté the spices over medium-low heat for about one minute.
Add 3oz. tomato paste (about 1/4 cup) and 1/2 tsp brown sugar to the pot. Continue to sauté for 2-3 more minutes, or until the tomato paste takes on a darker burgundy color.
Add the diced onion and 1/4 tsp salt. Sauté until the onion is soft and transparent.
Add one 15oz. can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), 1/4 lb. frozen chopped spinach (does not need to be completely thawed), one 15oz. can cannellini beans (rinsed and drained), and one cup uncooked long grain white rice.
Finally, add 1.5 cups vegetable broth and stir briefly to combine the ingredients.
This is what I use to make my broth because I can mix up any volume that I need (unlike bouillon cubes) with no leftovers (like cans or boxes of broth), the packaging is small, and once opened it lasts just about forever in the fridge. #winning #notsponsored
Place a lid on your pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and let it come up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to the lowest setting that still allows the liquid to simmer. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed (there may still be a bit pooling around the edges). Turn the heat off and let it sit for 10 minutes with the lid in place.
Carefully fluff the tomato herb rice without over stirring (you don’t want the beans to break down or the rice to get gummy). Serve immediately! Or garnish with a bit of parsley to make it look even prettier, like I did. ;)
This was yummy, pretty easy to make, filling and healthy. Checks off all my requirements! Another great recipe from budget bytes, thank you!
I forgot to mention that I topped it off with a little goat cheese crumbles. It added a great creamy tangy flavor.
If I were to use fresh herbs, what would the amounts be?
Converting dried to fresh herbs can be tricky. I’d need to experiment with it to see how it turns out before suggesting.
Just made this and it was delicious! Do you eat this as a main dish or a side?
I eat it as a main dish, but it could go either way. :)
Made this last night and it was delicious! I didn’t realise the serving sizes were determined assuming a side, though, and I had it by itself. It’s definitely good enough to do the job, but then you only get three servings. :)
I substituted arborio rice and increased the liquid by a cup and simmering timely about 15 minutes.. I used a can of chicken broth and 1/2 C of water, heating in the microwave prior to addition. Delicious.
I bet any of these would be great to add protein with a can of tuna or even salmon. Yum
This dish definitely required more liquid and a longer cooking time. I have an electric stove and things don’t always cook the way the recipe says they will. However, once the rice became cooked and the dish was served up the votes were unanimously that the recipe is a keeper. I just have to note on the recipe to either decrease the amount of rice or increase the broth. My friend suggested that perhaps, by using chicken broth (no vegetable broth) the fat coated the rice, thereby decreasing its ability to absorb the liquid. What does everyone think?
I ran out of BTB last week so just used water in this. Missed out on some extra flavor, I’m sure, but it was still great. 👍
I’m not a fan of beans, but I think I’m going to try this and simply replace the beans with an equivalent amount of chicken! It looks so good!
Although the end result was delicious, I did have to add more water because I’m guessing my fire roasted tomatoes were in more of a sauce than a liquid. During the time I was deciding whether to add more water or not I got a little sticking/scorching on the bottom of the pan, even with low heat. Anyway, we loved the final product and will definitely try again with a keener eye on the water and the flame. Thanks for the awesome recipes.
For anyone who said they used fresh spinach – I don’t have a kitchen scale, how much spinach did you use instead of a 1/4 lb frozen? Going to make this soon!
A quarter of a pound is four ounces- usually the baby spinach I buy is around 5 ounces. If you don’t have a scale, I’d just take out a big handful and add the rest to the recipe. But honestly, I’d just use the whole thing!
I’m planning on this for a college church group this week. I think they’ll love it!
I’ve made dozens of your recipes and although this might seem one of the less… glamorous maybe, it’s incredibly tasty, cheap and from stuff that I already had in the pantry. Loved the brown sugar and tomato paste base. I used a can of mixed beans (white, red and chickpea) and also cracked an egg into a bowl full of it and let it cook on the residual heat for extra creaminess! Thanks as always!
I made this tonight. it was pretty good, but the rice needed extra liquid and cooking time for me. It was odd but turned out good but a tad overcooked as a result of the rice.
I added a sprinkle of Old Bay on my serving. Tasted like some type of yummy vegetarian jambalaya. Might add a tsp or so next time I make it! Delicious both ways!
Hey Beth! I made this last night with brown rice and found that the recipe works wonderfully with an extra half-cup of water. The cooking time was only a bit longer. Thanks for making these recipes! I’ve been making them for years now!