Vegetarian Recipes

Tuscan White Bean Stuffed Tomatoes

This recipe for Tuscan White Bean Stuffed Tomatoes is hearty, warming, and deeply satisfying. These stuffed tomatoes can easily be served over a bed of pasta or rice—super budget-friendly and extremely filling! Every time you cut into one of the tomatoes, it’s like you’re making the sauce for whatever you’ve paired them with. This recipe is absolutely delicious and a great way to use up those summer tomatoes!

What Are Tuscan White Bean Stuffed Tomatoes?

Stuffed tomatoes are such an underrated dish. You can stuff them with almost anything you have on hand—grains, beans, meats, veggies, cheese! In this recipe, I take inspiration from Tuscan cuisine and stuff the tomatoes with a hearty mixture of cannellini beans, four types of diced vegetables, breadcrumbs, Italian seasonings, tomato sauce, and shredded cheese. Each tomato is then baked until it’s tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. They’re like mini casseroles in tomato form!

Here’s what you’ll need to make this stuffed tomato recipe:

Tomatoes: I use large “slicing” tomatoes (the kind you might use for a sandwich). You can also use smaller, on-the-vine tomatoes if you’re cooking for more than 4 people or want them as a side dish.
Cannellini Beans: Adds protein and fiber, making this recipe even more filling and nutritious.
Vegetables: Carrots, yellow onion, and celery cook down to be soft, sweet, and succulent. I also add some diced zucchini for extra texture and flavor.
Herbs: A sprig of rosemary and a dried Italian seasoning blend help give these tomatoes a Tuscan twist. Half a teaspoon of dried rosemary will also work if you don’t have fresh.
Seasonings: A little salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes help to enhance the other flavors.
Olive Oil: Softens the veggies as they cook and helps the tomatoes to brown in the oven.
Apple Cider Vinegar: The tanginess helps balance out the tomatoes’ sweetness and tenderizes the vegetables as they cook. It really helps the flavorful herbs pop!
Garlic: Freshly minced garlic infuses the filling with flavor.
Bread Crumbs: These help to absorb the extra moisture from the vegetables and create a nice, hearty texture. You can use any type of breadcrumbs you prefer.
Tomato Sauce: Use your favorite canned tomato sauce, or make your own from scratch!
Italian Cheese Blend: Makes the filling creamy and savory. I used the shredded Italian cheese blend from my local Kroger, but any type of cheese you enjoy and have on hand will work. Dairy-free? No problem. This recipe is great without the cheese, too.

What Type Of Tomato is Best for Stuffing?

You want large, firm, and ripe ”slicing” tomatoes for this recipe. Beefsteak and large heirloom tomatoes are also great options because they’re big and easy to stuff. Roma tomatoes could also work, but the oval shape makes stuffing a bit more challenging. For serving a crowd, I use smaller vine-ripened tomatoes so the filling goes further. Whichever variety you choose, make sure your tomatoes are firm and not mushy!

Dairy-free? Leave out the cheese. Trust me, the white beans add to the dense texture and creaminess of the filling, so they’re great no matter what your dietary restrictions are.
You can make the filling up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to stuff and bake your tomatoes. Cook the stuffed tomatoes for a couple of minutes longer to heat the filling through.
This recipe isn’t just for tomatoes! You can use the same filling to stuff large mushrooms or bell peppers (stuffed bell peppers are delicious!)

Storage Instructions

Leftover Tuscan white bean stuffed tomatoes will last up to 3-4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes or until heated through. I wouldn’t freeze this recipe as the tomatoes may become too watery after thawing. However, the filling freezes well.

A tuscan white bean stuffed tomato with pasta.

Tuscan White Bean Stuffed Tomatoes

This Tuscan White Bean Stuffed Tomatoes recipe is hearty, warming, and deeply satisfying. It’s also budget-friendly and easy to make!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Total Cost $9.71 recipe / $2.42 serving

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 51

Total Time 1 6

Servings servings, 1 tomato per person

Calories 197kcal

Author Jess – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

4 large “slicing” tomatoes* $4.54
1 can cannellini beans $0.86
1 carrot, peeled $0.10
½ yellow onion $0.47
2 sticks celery $0.10
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided $0.38
1 zucchini, diced small $0.93
1 sprig rosemary** $0.19
½ Tbsp dried Italian herb blend $0.29
1½ tsp salt $0.01
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar $0.03
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.12
½ tsp red pepper flakes $0.06
3 cloves garlic, minced $0.15
8oz can tomato sauce $0.74
¼ cup bread crumbs $0.16
½ cup shredded Italian cheese blend*** $0.58

Instructions

Hollow out 4 large tomatoes, keeping the tops and transferring the juicy seeds and inside flesh to a medium mixing bowl. Reserve everything!
Dice the carrot, yellow onion, and celery sticks into small pieces to make mirepoix (which is a combination of diced veggies used to flavor a recipe).
Pour 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil into a saucepan with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian herbs, and the diced carrots, onions, and celery.
Once cooked down, about 5 minutes or until veggies are softened and glossy, add the insides from the tomatoes, diced zucchini, rosemary, garlic, and apple cider vinegar and simmer of on medium heat uncovered until a chunky filling forms and some of the juices cook down, about 10 min.
Add bread crumbs, white cannellini beans and tomato sauce. Stir until combined. Cook for 3 minutes.
Turn off heat and fold in shredded Italian cheese blend. Set aside.
Place hollowed out tomatoes in a lightly oiled baking dish. Fill each hollowed out tomato with the cheesy white bean filling and put their tomato “lids” on. Fill in around each tomato with any extra filling. Brush remaining olive oil on top of all 4 tomatoes and cover the entire baking dish lightly with tinfoil. Bake for 15 min at 375°F.
Remove tinfoil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Broil on high for the last 3 minutes to get some color on top of the tomatoes, if needed.
Serve each tomato over pasta or rice.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*If you want to stretch this recipe further for more than 4 people, you can buy slightly smaller tomatoes on the vine and follow these same instructions, serving the smaller stuffed tomatoes with more pasta or rice to keep your guests happy and full! In my experience, you can find tomatoes for much cheaper (and more flavorful!) when they are in season.

**Dried rosemary also works well.

*** I chose the shredded Italian cheese blend at my local Kroger, but provolone, mozzarella, Parmesan, and even cheddar cheese work well in this recipe—use whatever you have on hand!

Nutrition

A tuscan white bean stuffed tomato on a plate.

how to make Tuscan White Bean Stuffed Tomatoes – step by step photos

A knife cutting the top off a tomato on a chopping board next to hollowed out tomatoes and a bowl containing scooped out tomato seeds.

Hollow out 4 large tomatoes, keeping the tops and transferring the juicy seeds and inside flesh to a medium mixing bowl. Reserve everything!

Diced onions, carrots, and celery in a saucepan with salt and pepper.

Dice 1 peeled carrot, ½ a yellow onion, and 2 celery sticks into small pieces to make mirepoix (which is a combination of diced veggies used to flavor a recipe). Pour 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil into a saucepan with 1½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ Tsp Italian herbs, and the diced carrots, onions, and celery.

Filling for tuscan white bean stuffed tomatoes in a saucepan.

Once cooked down, about 5 minutes or until veggies are softened and glossy, add the insides from the tomatoes, 1 diced zucchini, 1 sprig of rosemary, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar and simmer of on medium heat uncovered until a chunky filling forms and some of the juices cook down, about 10 min.

Add ¼ cups of bread crumbs, 1 can of white cannellini beans, and an 8-oz can of tomato sauce. Stir until combined. Cook for 3 minutes.

Filling for tuscan white bean stuffed tomatoes in a saucepan topped with shredded cheese.

Turn off heat and fold in ½ a cup of shredded Italian cheese blend. Set aside.

A spoon adding the tuscan white bean filling to hollowed out tomatoes in a baking dish.

Place hollowed out tomatoes in a lightly oiled baking dish. Fill each hollowed out tomato with the cheesy white bean filling and put their tomato “lids” on.

Tuscan white bean stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish being brushed with oil.

Fill in around each tomato with any extra filling. Brush remaining ½ Tbsp of olive oil on top of all 4 tomatoes and cover the entire baking dish lightly with tinfoil. Bake for 15 min at 375°F.

Remove tinfoil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Broil your baked stuffed tomatoes on high for the last 3 minutes to get some color on top of the tomatoes, if needed. Serve each tomato over pasta or rice.

A knife and fork cutting into a tuscan white bean stuffed tomato on a plate with pasta.

You NEED to try these protein-packed Tuscan white bean stuffed tomatoes the next time you’re craving something warm, hearty, and delicious!

The post Tuscan White Bean Stuffed Tomatoes appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

Black beans are without a doubt my favourite bean (and my kids’ favourite too), and I absolutely love this simple black bean stew. It’s nothing fancy or complicated, just good, honest food – simply black beans in a rich tomato sauce, cooked with a few straightforward spices, and served up however you like. And best of all, it can be on the table in less than half an hour.

A portion of tomato and black bean stew served with rice, lettuce and sour cream.

This easy recipe uses canned black beans, because who’s got time for cooking dried beans on a busy weeknight – or any other time?! Certainly not me, and I love using canned beans for a quick dinner. Just simmer them until the stew is nice and thick, and they really could not be more delicious.

How to Serve Black Bean Stew

I’ve made this dish dozens of times, and served it in so many different ways. It’s a really versatile recipe. Here are some ideas for how to serve this easy black bean stew:

simply served with rice (and toppings, like avocado and sour cream)
wrapped up in a soft tortilla to make an amazing bean burrito
loaded into a taco shell with salad and extra toppings
heaped onto a baked potato
served with lots of roasted veggies (crispy potato wedges would be great)
with tortilla chips on the side for scooping

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for tomato and black bean stew laid out with text overlay.

black beans. Canned black beans ensure this recipe is quick and easy. If you prefer, you can cook dried beans from scratch beforehand, then follow the recipe as written.
onion – I used half an onion, because I find a whole large onion is too much in this recipe. If you’d rather not have half an onion left over, try to just use a small one instead.
tomatoes (try to use good quality ones)
tomato paste
garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would also be fine.
smoked paprika
ground cumin
fresh chilli (or chilli flakes, if you prefer) – I always choose a small, mild chilli. I do like things quite spicy, but adding too much spice can spoil a meal very quickly! If you’re not sure how hot your chilli is, start with just a small amount – you can always add more later.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you find you sometimes get stomach issues from eating too many beans or other legumes, make sure you rinse canned beans before cooking with them. This can help to wash away the gas-inducing substances from the beans.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of rich tomato and black bean stew with rice and lettuce.

Printable Instructions

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

A super easy vegan black bean stew, with a rich tomato sauce and beautiful spices. This is such a versatile recipe!

Course Main Course

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 266kcal

Author Becca Heyes